Eternally Yours
by Allura01
Summary: When Heero saves a girl from an unpleasant death in the hands of an enemy, the girl starts to harbor feelings for him. Can this girl win the heart of the ‘heartless’ soldier? And will the enemy really just let the girl slip through their fingers?
1. Another Chance

**Eternally Yours**

_Summary: When Heero saves a girl from an unpleasant death in the hands of an enemy, the girl starts to harbour feelings for him. But can this girl really win the heart of the 'heartless' soldier?_

Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Gundam Wing.

**Chapter One: Another Chance**

She could still hear the screeching sound of the bullets being fired as she ran as fast as she could, ducking into a dark alley for safety. The sounds of heavy yet fast footsteps were getting louder, signalling to her that her enemies were close. The muffled sound of voices shouting panicked orders could be heard from the street opposite. '_They're close, too close' _she thought as the thuds of the heavy uniformed military boots stopped just before the dark alley in which she had taken her cover.

"Orders were to check everywhere. We cannot let her escape. She knows too much."

"Stop!" The soldier in charge halted his men and signalled to the alley. "Check in there."

"Yes sir" was the reply from his men.

The soldiers got closer and closer to her hiding point as she glanced around her warily. Just her luck, she had chosen the alley with the dead end, just then she spotted a strange gap in the back wall which seemed to lead to the next street. She examined the wall; it looked big enough for her to be able to fit through. She slowly started to rise getting ready to jolt to the gap and make her escape when the sleeve of her jacket caught onto something. It was too dark for her to see what she was caught onto so she tugged at her jacket sending the object on which her jacket had been hooked onto scattering to the floor recklessly. _Damn!_ The soldiers turned around and sought her out from within the bags she had hidden behind.

"Get her!" yelled their leader. The men, immediately following orders, ran towards the young girl.

She froze on the spot, her mind was screaming at her to run but her body wouldn't follow its instructions.

"Don't move!" one of the soldiers told her sternly whilst pulling his gun out of its holster.

Suddenly her body seemed to connect back to life and she ducked behind a trashcan which was letting the bullets shot rebound back in the opposite direction.

She ran towards the gap in the wall somewhat slowly. _Damn it! Move faster_ she screamed at herself. She felt a bullet narrowly miss her head and whistle silently past her ear. At the same time she felt a sudden immense pain hit her lower back another one followed in suit and hit her just to the left of her spine. '_Damn it!_' she thought as her focus became blurry and her head began to spin in numerous circles, 'mission failed.' She whispered quietly as she fell slowly to the ground losing all consciousness. Lafeia hit the ground head first; the bullet punctures in her back spilling out crimson blood onto the alley's floor beneath her.

-8-

Lafeia was floating up from the black abyss that she had earlier drowned in. She could hear barely audible voices coming from around her although she could not distinguish from which direction they were coming from. She tried to open her eyes to find her location. That's when she felt the pain. The pain was so excruciating that she felt she'd rather fall back into the black abyss of nothingness where she could feel no pain. Immediately she tried not to breathe, breathing was too much torture, she tried to slowly move her arms but realised she had been restrained to the bed.

"She's awakening, quick pass me the painkillers." Said a voice, she could tell this person was standing very close to her on her right. It took her several moments to open her eyes and when she finally did she had to shut them again quickly due to the short term blinding from the medical lights that surrounded her. She pried open her eyes once again and readjusted to the light although she could still feel herself squinting through watery eyes. She studied the plain white ceiling of the medical centre and then studied other various objects in the room some of which were moving swiftly around her injecting painkillers into her side and fidgeting with gauzes and band aids.

Her wrist flinched when a sharp prick suddenly entered the top of her hand.

"Don't do that. You will pull out your IV, and you really wouldn't want to do that with the condition you are in." She focused her gaze on the woman who had just talked to her. The woman was looking down at her with a concerned gaze, she smiled weakly at her.

"Young lady, can you tell me your name?" The girl simply shook her head.

"I didn't think so. I am Doctor Sally Po." The doctor looked over to her monitor to check Lafeia's statistics and vitals before turning back to talk to her again.

"You were brought in here by a boy named Heero Yuy. He witnessed your attack but before he could do anything the soldiers had already shot you down. He managed to fight off the soldiers and brought you straight to me. I don't ever recall him making such an act of generosity." The doctor seemed to be talking to herself at this point. "But young lady you really must tell me your name. Please! We are anything but your enemies; you could even refer to us as your allies." The doctor again smiled down at the young girl and then looked down at her restraints. "Hey, how about I undo your restraints and you tell me your name. But if I do undo the restraints you have to promise me you will not leave until you are completely healed, you are in no condition to be outside of this room. If you leave Lady Une will have my life."

"Lafeia Gartner." The young girl whispered with a croaky voice. Sally smiled warmly at her and quickly undone the restraints.

"Now Lafeia, remember you have to stay here. You should sleep now. You need the rest."

Lafeia gladly obeyed Doctor Sally, she had felt a rush of exhaustion, ache and tiredness whelm over her body and she slowly closed her eyes once again allowing her mind and body to be engulfed into the peaceful darkness.

Sally sat with Lafeia until she was assured the young girl was sleeping and then, telling her apprentice to watch over Lafeia, she left the room to announce to Lady Une and the others that she had woken. They had so many questions that needed answered.

-8-

Lady Une and the gundam pilots, Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner and Wufei Chang where sitting around a long rectangular shaped oak conference table. They were going over the options they had in relation to their next few missions and what they where going to do with their new guest who was now situated in the medical area in the left wing of the building. A rapping could be heard from the door and they all looked up to see Sally Po walk in and greet them all.

"The patient has woken up. She could only tell me that her name is Lafeia Gartner before she again became drowsy and I had to let her sleep. I have removed all of her restraints, although she has given me her word that she will not leave the wing. She is healing well, but she has suffered from a mild concussion which has lead her to a mild case of short term memory loss, so I doubt we'll get much out of her soon. But her memory should return to her in a few weeks." Sally told the room.

"Thank you Sally, next time she wakes up would you please call for me as I would like to have a chat with our visitor." Replied Lady Une, Sally nodded and with one quick glance in Wufei's direction she left the conference room. She sighed in relief as she emerged into the hall. She hated walking into that room during an important meeting, the tension was so thick that she swore that she could cut it with a knife, but she was given orders to inform Lady Une when the girl woke up and she had had to carry out those orders.

After the meeting the five boys made their way back to their own rooms. Duo came over to Heero grinning mischievously.

"What is it Duo?" Heero asked, the tone of his voice not changing.

"Well ya know this so called 'visitor' of ours, well how did you come across her? And why save her? Not that I didn't want ya to, it's just, you've never done anything like that before, and ya know…"

"I had been watching her for a few days…" Duo's expression changed and if possible he seemed to be grinning even more.

"Watching her? For a few days?" he laughed cheekily.

"Duo!" said Heero getting aggravated. "Don't be so crude. I was watching her because she has a good talent, I noticed her first when she was taking out a few guards at a base I had been researching and planning to break into." He looked down at the ground and then back up to Duo. Duo was amazed to see that his eyes contained a strange glow of excitement; at least he thought it was excitement. "She was amazing, so strong and powerful for a girl. Watching her made me want to know more about her, so I tried to draw up some information on her on my laptop but I couldn't find anything on her. She's so mysterious, there is nothing on her, I just thought if I could find out her name, then maybe that would give me some sort of lead. I followed her around for the next few days trying to understand the situation more clearly. Then, that day, the day she got injured, she was running, I didn't know who she was running from but I knew she was in danger, but by the time I'd caught up with her she was… lying on the ground, two bullets penetrated fully into her flesh and a dozen guards surrounding her."

"What? A dozen guards, for a chick?" Duo questioned surprised, urging Heero to continue his story.

"Yes, but as I said she's good. I took out the guards and brought her straight here. I never thought she'd live through those wounds."

"Hmph! She's just like ya Heero. Won't stop at anything, must complete her mission even if it concerns her own life, and lastly she's extremely stubborn, I swear that that stubborn streak in you has something to do with you always pulling through and living through what the doctors say are critical conditions." Duo laughed at himself then looked at Heero whilst wearing his trademark grin. Heero just looked back at him, his face a mask of seriousness and his eyes once again void of emotion. As Heero turned to walk away again Duo thought, _that's the Heero I know_.

-8-

Pulling herself once again out of the pool of darkness that surrounded her Lafeia felt the great pressure and pain that was forced upon her wounds. She groaned quietly, and heard someone walk over to her.

"Hold still for a second, I'm just going to give you some more painkillers." The voice did not belong to the doctor she had met last time but of an older woman, who's voice she did not recognise. Lafeia began to panic wondering who she was going to have to deal with. She opened her eyes slowly and squinted through the small gap she had managed to force open. The older woman looked at Lafeia and smiled.

"I am Lady Une. It is a pleasure to meet you Lafeia Gartner; I have heard a lot of interesting things about you."

Lafeia's eyes suddenly shot open fully, "Like what?" she asked shocked that these people seemed to know about her yet she knew nothing to do with them.

"Do not be afraid, Lafeia. Remember that we are your allies."

"I'm not afraid." Replied Lafeia stubbornly, even though she was afraid, she hated being thought of as weak, and fear was certainly categorized as a weakness in her mind.

"Well then you must trust us."

"How can you ask me to trust you when I don't even know who you people are? How can I be sure that you are my allies? I don't even know where I am!" Lafeia eyed the woman suspiciously.

"Well that's something you are going to deal with in your own time, trust is something that grows on people through time. With time, Lafeia you will learn to trust me and my comrades." Lady Une tucked her long brown hair behind her ear with her hand. "As for whom we are. We are an organisation called 'The preventers' we are here to help promote the peace Miss Relena Peacecraft has laid down for us and to stop any rebellious organisations and groups from doing anything to destroy the peace that took such a long time to gain." Lafeia looked up at her nodding to accept the fact that she was an ally and that they where both more or less after the same goal. 'So these are the oh so great Preventers'.

"How long have I been here?" Lafeia asked curiously, she didn't feel like she'd been there long but she had a funny feeling she'd been there a lot longer than she would have expected.

"You woke for the first time a day after you were brought here, but since then you have been unconscious for more than two weeks."

Lafeia asked, shocked.

"Yes. You were in a very bad condition, if it hadn't been for one of my men you would not have survived the night. But as for your wounds, they have healed extremely well. I am surprised at how anyone could recover from such injuries so quickly."_ I know of only one other person how could pull through that. Both of you are very strong._

Heero walked along the eerily quiet corridor towards the room at the left wing of the preventer's base where he knew Lady Une would be waiting for him. Why she had to bring him to the other side of the building just to talk was a mystery to him. After all, both of their rooms and offices where situated in the right wing.

He tapped lightly at the door and waited patiently.

Lady Une stopped talking to her young guest when she heard the rapping at the door; she knew fully well who it was.

"Come in." she said in a stern voice. A young boy of around eighteen entered the room. He was wearing black slacks, a forest green tank top and a khaki preventers jacket thrown over the top of it. His dark Prussian blue eyes flickered from where Lady Une was positioned to where the young girl sat on the edge of her bed in the far corner of the room. He then turned his full attention to Lady Une. He positioned himself in a military position and nodded to her, sending the front bangs of his unruly dark brown hair to cover his eyes.

Heero, upon entering the room, scanned it from floor to ceiling, it was something he that had been drilled into him as a young boy and even when the peace had been attained he still wasn't ready to be taking chances. As he scanned the room he noticed the small girl sitting in the corner of the room, he recognised her as Lafeia Gartner. Her long ebony black hair flowed gracefully down her shoulders; her face was pale and gaunt from the life threatening events she had just taken part in and her body looked weak and fragile. Yet her intoxicating teal green eyes still seemed as dangerous and alert as he had remembered. She glanced up at him, seeming to be taking him in with her eyes and examining him thoroughly. He felt strangely drawn to her and disliking this uncomfortable feeling he quickly avoided matching her gaze with his by turning his full attention to Lady Une who was sitting not far from her at the back of the room.

Lafeia watched as the handsome young boy talked to Lady Une quietly, she looked down at herself and realised she was wearing only her underwear and a long sleeved shirt, of who the shirt belonged to she didn't have a clue but was grateful for it's warmth around her shivering body. She grabbed the covers of her bed to wrap them around her small form and waited for Lady Une and the boy's conversation to end. She watched the boy with a great fascination. He wasn't too much taller than she was, she estimated the boy to be around the age of eighteen, although as she watched the boy standing at regulation not moving the whole time that Lady Une was talking to him she thought he acted a lot older than eighteen. _Eighteen year old kids shouldn't be running around in dangerous organisations and fighting to protect their country. Hold on, you are such a hypocrite,_ she thought as she thought about how she had been fighting most of her life to protect her family. She sighed as she remembered her family but pushed the thoughts out of her head quickly. Now was not the time to think about them she said to herself.

After a while Lady Une finally turned back to Lafeia. "Lafeia," She started, "this is Heero Yuy, the young man who saved your life two weeks ago."

"It is nice to meet you, Heero. Thank you." Lafeia said to him in a husky and raspy voice. She coughed trying to regain her own voice.

"Hn." was the only reply she got from him. He stared at her coldly with his Prussian blue eyes. _Whoa _she thought _those eyes; they are so cold and so empty of any emotion._

"Heero I am placing you in charge of this young girl. Look after her." Lady Une told him. Heero glared at her but after a while he nodded his head curtly showing her that he understood his orders.

"Good. Now take Lafeia, get her some clean clothes and then introduce her to the other pilots." She then turned round to Lafeia and smiled, "Lafeia, we don't want you to be bored here during your stay so I have arranged for you to have lessons and training from the pilots to build up your fighting skills, " She glanced back to Heero briefly, "but I have heard already that your skills are very high anyway." And with that Lady Une left the two teenagers in the room alone.

Heero glared over at Lafeia. She hated the burning sensation that she got inside her when he glared at her with his icy eyes. He motioned for her to follow him and walked at a fast pace towards the door. Lafeia jumped up from the bed, forgetting her lack of clothes and followed him into the long dark corridor. Heero was already about thirty paces in front of her and she had to run to catch up with him. The boy sure moved quickly, she thought.

She was running to catch up with him. His mind was telling him to slow down and let her catch up, but his body wouldn't listen, he kept on walking at his steady pace. He was surprised when he seen her appear at his side, not out of breath at all from the long run down the corridor. He looked down at her, she looked cold, she had her arms wrapped across her chest and goose bumps covered her whole body. That was when he noticed she was not dressed appropriately for walking down open corridors where officers and soldiers could easily walk out of rooms and see her. _In fact_, he thought, _I wouldn't even say that she's dressed._ He blushed, realising he was staring at her and without thinking he removed his preventers jacket and thrust it into her arms. She looked up at him, surprised and blushing as she too had just realised she wasn't wearing very much. She then smiled a weak thank you smile at him and threw the jacket across her shoulders.

They soon got to a plain black door at the end of a corridor where Heero typed in his six digit code and allowed the door to slide open with relative ease.

They entered the dark room and Heero flicked a switch for the lights, the lights flickered for a second before settling to a steady state. Heero walked over to his closet and started searching for something to dress the girl in. He picked out a smallish shirt and a black pair of trousers; he decided that he would let her keep the preventers jacket for the minute. He threw the clothes into her arms and turned his back towards her focusing his gaze on the opposite wall. He could hear the sound of clothes being removed and applied again and pushed mental images of the pretty girl out of his head. He was after all a teenage guy, maybe not your average one, but a teenage guy with hormones all the same.

Lafeia cleared her throat gently; "Umm…" she said not knowing what else to say to signal that she was dressed, but Heero caught on. He turned around and only glanced at her before making his way towards the door to leave. Lafeia quickly followed him making sure to keep right beside him. She didn't know why, but she felt drawn to him in a strange way, like his presence somehow confirmed her safety and being closer to him made her feel even more secure, so she kept as close to him as possible.

In her present condition she was very weak and vulnerable to any form of attacks, she felt that for now she needed as much safety and security as she could find, She really didn't like the feeling that the vulnerability brought to her.

Heero was striding down the corridor walking towards the pilot's lobby, where the pilots usually went to hang out. He turned around to look at Lafeia who was still struggling to keep up with his large strides.

"Are you hungry?" he asked in his monotonously cold voice, Lady Une had told him to look after her, he guessed that would include feeding her. _She needs to eat something soon; she's too thin and pale, did they not feed her at all in the medical wing?_

Lafeia nodded her head quickly in reply still finding it difficult to keep up with him.

They arrived at the lobby doors with Lafeia panting and out of breath. _Damn, those few weeks without training or any form of exercise, I'm becoming really unfit _she thought. Heero entered yet another 6 digit code into locking device beside the huge doors and walked into the main area.

Heero had forgotten that Lafeia had been with him, she had moved quickly but silently, _maybe she is just like me. _Only when he heard the quiet gasp of surprise was he reminded of her presence. He turned around to see her shocked expression. She was amazed at how huge and amazing the lobby was.

Lafeia looked up at Heero; the shock must have registered on her face, as she was sure she saw the trace of an amused smile on his face and his eyes glimmered amusedly but it was there and gone again in a blink as his face returned to its usual blank expression, that was both his trademark and an irritant to many of his friends.

She again studied the room, the room was extremely large, and way more extravagant than she had expected for a lobby.

Heero watched her, amused as she glanced around the room in amazement, like a child at Christmas. Her teal eyes glittered brightly with fascination and curiosity, they browsed around the room examining every little detail, not missing one thing, she is a well trained soldier, he thought. He watched as her hand twitched longing to touch many of the mysterious items scattered sparsely around the room. His thoughts were soon disrupted by a loud thump coming from the bottom of the large staircase situated in the centre of the room. Heero looked round to see Duo standing at the bottom of the staircase grinning widely having accomplished his mission of startling Heero out of his thoughts.

_Stop thinking about this girl Heero she's distracting you. And here I thought the perfect soldier didn't get distracted from his missions. _Duo laughed at himself out loud.

"Hey there, Heero! How's it going?" Duo's eyes widened as he looked upon the new girl, "Is this the girl I've heard so much about?"

"Hn." Heero replied.

"Huh! So why does Une still want her here if she's healed?"

"Hn. She's not completely healed" Heero shrugged his shoulders lightly as he replied; "Une wants us to give her special training for a while."

"Special training?" Duo's eyes widened, "What kind of special training?"

"Dunno."

"Huh Une's gone crazy these days." The girl blushed at this, seeming offended and took a step back, which caught the braided boy's eye, and he turned, "Oh, I didn't ask your name!"

"Lafeia." Heero answered as Lafeia opened her mouth to speak.

"Hey look at that. She's a ventriloquist!" Duo mocked. Heero glared at him, Prussian orbs like daggers. But duo was used to this gaze and shrugged it off carelessly, there was no point in entering a staring match with Heero, it was all but too obvious who would win. He turned his attention back to the dark haired girl. She was staring back at him; her face showed little emotion but it was easy enough for him to read, after all he had spent the last few years with Heero. It was crazy how alike the two were. Duo laughed as he thought about this earning himself yet another death stare from Heero but he again shrugged it off.

"Nice to meet ya Lafeia, the name's Duo Maxwell!" He grinned widely at her, and she smiled back, not nearly as enthusiastic though. _Okay well she can smile; maybe they are not so alike after all._

Lafeia watched the mysterious boy in fascination. The young man seemed so full of energy and enthusiasm. As she studied him, she noticed the long golden brown braid that swung back and forth at his back and the stunning and cheerful cobalt blue eyes that shone out from behind his dark bangs. He talked to Heero, seeming to wind him up and then turned to call out to someone.

"Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, come here!"

A blonde head followed by a cinnamon one emerged from the kitchen. Quatre was the first to approach, "Hello there."

Wufei appeared at the entrance to the room and glared over at the newcomer, "Who is this?" He asked surveying the girl.

"This is Lafeia; Une wants us to train her in our spare time." Duo said looking around at his friends who were now grouped around the young girl and Heero.

Lafeia blushed at the sudden appearance of the four other boys. She found herself feeling uneasy and nervous amongst the strangers and suddenly felt like going back to the medical wing where she could drown herself in loneliness and emptiness, it was a thing the young girl was well accommodated to. She never really tried to associate with the other members of her former groups, but she reassured herself that she was safe here, there was no dodgy characters hanging around hallways and no 'shadows' tailing her every movement anonymously.

The blonde haired boy suddenly and unexpectedly stepped forward thrusting out his right hand in a kind welcome. She accepted his hand and shook it gently studying the kindness in the boy's eyes and the genuine smile plastered on his face.

"It's nice to meet you, Lafeia. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner, and this is Trowa Barton," The tall silent boy with the cinnamon hair to the right of him nodded but his face remained as serious as ever._ These boys seem to be wearing masks of some sort, such_ _emotionless masks_, she thought as she studied Trowa carefully and nodded politely in return, "Wufei Chang," Quatre went on. The Chinese man to the left of him with the black silky hair which was pulled back into a tight ponytail glared at her even more, showing his apparent distaste for her, Lafeia smiled weakly at him, and quickly she turned back to the blonde boy with the warm smile to get away from those cold, angry dark eyes of the Chinese man.

"And I take it you have already been introduced to Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell?" Lafeia nodded towards him feeling the gaze of all the pilots upon her. It made her feel even more uneasy than she already was.

Heero noticing that she was feeling awkward decided to tell Duo to give her a tour of the pilot's wing and Duo agreed happily.

The cheerful boy named Duo showed her around their whole apartment or wing as they called it, they ended in the kitchen where Duo started rummaging about for food and asking her if she was hungry.

"Yeah, I'm starving." She said quietly.

"Great! Me too!"

"When are you ever not?" Wufei entered the room and sat down at the kitchen table once again studying Lafeia with a remorse dislike. _The girl is too weak! She shouldn't even be getting trained, if she were to battle she would break too easily, she is too thin, just skin and bones._

"Well I happen to make the most exquisite dishes out of all the pilots." Duo said happily ignoring Wufei's comment. Lafeia smiled at him, she was extremely hungry she felt like she hadn't eaten in a month. _That's because you probably haven't!_ She thought.

-8-

After eating and listening to Duo talk about his life and the lives of the other pilots, Lafeia felt drowsy, she sat down on a comfortable sofa in the main lobby and sank into its soft cushions, _Ooohh this is nice! I could definitely get used to this…_ She laid her head back and felt her eyelids become heavy and suddenly found it very hard to focus on anything around her. She was finding herself unable to keep her eyes open any longer.

"Lafeia!" Heero raised his voice and tugged the girl off the sofa, putting his arm around her waist to balance her; she opened her eyes groggily, letting her weight fall upon Heero's sturdy arms. Slowly she took in her surroundings and gradually realised that she was in Heero's arms, she blushed violently and pulled away from his grasp only to find her knees were so weak that they where about to buckle beneath her. Heero moved swiftly closer and caught her before she could collapse; he frowned at her for pulling away so quickly. She smiled up at him seeing a look of concern in his usually harsh Prussian orbs.

"She still hasn't recovered from the anaesthetics yet. They heal the wounds and relieve the pain but they make the used very drowsy and weak." Quatre whispered to Heero as he looked down at the young girl who was drifting in and out of consciousness, he was sincerely concerned for the young girls health, he doubted she was even in a good enough condition to be walking about. "When did she come out of the coma?"

"She woke early this morning, just before I was called in to talk to Lady Une. Hasn't had much rest since." Heero replied not taking his eyes off the girl. He ducked down to collect the rest of her body in his two arms, lifting her fully off the ground.

"Where about was she hit?"

"On her back but I'm not too sure where."

"You should take her to a bed Heero, I'm worried about her, and she's not stable enough to be using up too much of her energy." Heero nodded in reply and walked over to the door, he waited while Quatre opened the door for them and nodded to his friend before turning in the opposite direction towards his room.

Heero walked along the dark corridors without a sound through the black darkness that nearly engulfed them. The bright moon shone through the large glass windows making the couple seem ghostlike as he walked with the small girl cradled in his arms.

Upon nearing his room Heero shifted the girl in his arms so that he could open the door. He entered his room and carefully laid her down on his bed; he stopped to think for a moment then reached up and covered her with the blankets. He blinked in surprise, seeing at last that this was the first time he had ever been this gentle with someoneHe shook his head furiously in an attempt to rid himself of the strange thoughts that had started occurring recently

He took hold of a spare quilt in his dresser and pulled it out laying it upon the floor, he glanced over at Lafeia quickly before changing, and he was not taking any chances.

-8-

Lafeia awoke the next morning to a bright light shining upon her eyes, she opened them slowly to see the sun had just risen from behind the horizon and was shining serenely through the window. She looked around the room taking in her surroundings, after a while she finally recognised the room as the one Heero had lead her into to change into some of his clothes. _Why am I sleeping in Heero's room?_ She got up, lifting herself off the bed too quickly, and finding that her legs couldn't cope with the sudden pressure reinforced upon them and collapsed back onto the bed. With a sigh she tested her legs again holding onto the bed to gain some form of balance. She started walking slowly towards the door holding onto the walls and now and then leaning against them when she felt a weakness spread through her body. Her body wanted to collapse into the strange darkness again and her mind craved for the relaxing nothingness of the dark unconscious oblivion. _I hate this weakness_ she screamed to herself and pushed her body to move forward more promptly, pushing the pain out of her mind and locking it up. _There is no time for weakness._

Her sudden drive of determination moved her legs faster and she congratulated herself for her quick thinking. Just then her legs once again failed her and her body gave in and fell to the ground with a thump. Cursing her legs she tried pushing herself up again and gave up upon failing for the third time. She slumped against the wall, pushing her head back against the wall for support.

Heero walked into the room and stared at the girl who was leaning against the wall. He had heard the thump from the next room and came in to see if she was okay.

Her hair was messily strewn across her face as she looked up at him from her helpless position on the floor, her teal green eyes containing traces of anger, determination and stress.

He smiled slightly at her and stooped down to help her to her feet.

As he entered the room had Lafeia watched him watch her through amused eyes, and then he did a surprising thing, he smiled at her, _That must have been the first time I've ever seen that boy smile, I wish he'd smile more often, he looks so handsome when he smiles... Wait! What am I saying! _She smiled back weakly at him, blocking out her thoughts as he crouched down beside her and wrapped his arm around her back. She groaned in agony as he placed pressure upon one of her recent bullet wounds. He pushed her forward slightly and his left hand pulled the shirt up slightly so that he could examine her wounds carefully. As his hand touched her she felt her skin burn but not from the pain of the wounds but from the gentleness of his touch. As he moved his hand further up her spine in order to examine the rest of her wounds she felt goose bumps prickle up all over her body. _Why am I acting like this? _She asked herself.

Heero moved his hands effortlessly around her back thoroughly examining her injuries. _These are nowhere near healed! _He thought angrily. He would have to take her back to the medical wing for a while. _I'm going to have to have a word with Lady Une and Doctor Sally, _he thought. As he moved his hand further up her spine he felt a chill run through her body and goose bumps appear across her skin, he hastily pulled down the shirt and threw her his preventer's jacket over her to keep her warm.

He stood there for a while just staring at her, she looked so weak and vulnerable sitting there gazing back at him with her enchanting eyes. He forced the thoughts of her out of his mind and helped her up off the floor. He guided her out of the room her arm thrown around his neck and his hand holding onto her waist gently and guided her down the long cold corridors.

After they had passed the entrance to the pilot's main lobby Lafeia began to feel confused as to where they where headed.

"Uhh… Heero…?"

"Hn."

"Where are we going?" she whispered as if afraid that talking aloud may disrupt the silence of the hallway. But Heero heard her okay.

"The medical wing?" Her voice choked with the shock, she didn't want to go back to the medical wing, not now anyway. She was enjoying the company of the pilots and Heero. She didn't want to be left isolated in that room any longer and she didn't want to drown in her own loneliness. No, she wasn't going to stand for it. She pulled her arm away from Heero's neck and pulled her body away from the support of his arm. She trembled and her legs threatened to give way to her weight but she quickly leant against the wall breathing deeply from her exhaustion of their long walk, she knew she really wasn't up to do doing any physical exercise but she wanted to commence her training with the pilots, she was already out of shape and she couldn't stand it and she had to prove to Heero that she wasn't so dependent on everything and everyone.

Heero felt her tremble as he mentioned where he was taking her. He knew what she was feeling, he too hated lying in the medical beds needing constant attention from medical staff and feeling weak and useless lying there inept of moving. When she suddenly pushed him away from her with all the power she contained in her body he was surprised. He watched carefully, ready to catch her if she fell; her body was drained of most of its energy from the long walk and her sudden energy upsurge that she had used to push him away. He watched her shake and waver as she held onto the wall for strength. She frowned in his direction.

"I'm not going to the medical wing, Heero!" She exclaimed, "I'm just fine!"

"No you're not!" Heero glared at her unconvincing form, "Lafeia, you need to go."

"No." she sighed and turned to walk away still leaning against the wall slightly, her long limp hair draped around her shoulders.

Heero groaned quietly in defeat and hesitated before moving to catch up to her, which didn't take him long as she wasn't moving very fast, he supported her once again with her waist in his hand and her arm round his neck and shoulders. They were both silent as Heero led them back to the main lobby to meet with the other pilots.

Heero left Lafeia on the sofa and went over to Quatre and Trowa to discuss her condition. "She won't go to the medical wing, she's too damned stubborn." Heero said obviously irritated.

"Maybe if you weren't so cold towards her she would listen to you." Trowa said analysing the situation. "There's no way she's going to be getting training from us for a few days." Heero glared daggers at him, but Trowa had learnt how to deal with Heero's coldness as had the other pilots.

"All I can say is to make sure she rests, Heero maybe you should stay with her while she's sleeping, well for as long as you can anyway." Quatre added, again showing his concern for the young girl.

"Me?" Heero asked surprised.

"Yes. You seem to be the one out of us that she trusts the most." Quatre countered.

Heero left Lafeia in the living room area watching TV with Duo and Wufei. Duo seemed to be his usual energetic self and was aggravating the humourless Wufei.

"Yo, Wu-man that's a crap station!" Duo said before snatching the controller out of Wufei's hands and continuously flicking through channels.

"Duo! Give me that back now!" Wufei growled.

Duo jumped up off the sofa and ran round the room with Wufei on his tail. Eventually Wufei gave up the chase and wandered over to Quatre, Trowa and Heero.

Lafeia strained to hear what they where conversing about, she heard Heero mutter a few words about the medical wing and knew in an instant that they were of course talking about her. _Great _she thought _now they're all going to be forcing me to go to the medical wing!_

"I don't know why she trusts you so much though." Wufei said as he entered the conversation with Quatre, Trowa and Heero, leaving Lafeia watching TV with Duo. "She's one strange girl." Heero growled at him, but before he could say anything back Quatre said, "If you watch over her, she should sleep better; I assume she left your bed this morning to find you. If you are there when she wakes up she will have no reason to leave the room therefore speeding her recovery." Heero nodded as Quatre's speech seemed to be comprehensible. He looked over at the girl who was chatting happily with Duo.

"What's going on back there?" Duo pulled her out of her thoughts, she was surprised to see the braided man leaning against the back of the sofa and watching his comrades discuss a topic which was unknown to him.

"No idea." She sighed and lay down on the sofa spreading her legs across it with a great effort. She didn't understand why her legs were malfunctioning when it was her back that had been injured. _I guess I'm just weak._

Duo turned around, his eyes wide with interest and started a friendly conversation with her. Soon she felt her tiredness overwhelm her again and she rested her head on the sofa's back, closing her eyes… _Just for a short while_, she thought.

She stirred from her sleep and opened her eyes, blearily searching the room for anything to tell her of her whereabouts, she found herself resting against a slumbering Duo, she looked around further to find out that the other pilots were also asleep. She sought Heero out from the pilots and watched his sleeping form. It was the first time she'd seen him sleep, and even in sleep, Heero seemed to be fully aware of his surroundings and constantly on guard. She was now becoming aware of the fact that she was falling for the young soldier, _unwillingly of course._

She leant down beside him to watch him sleep. _He's so handsome. Why do I have to have these feelings for you? _She asked him silently. After a while of staring at the sleeping Japanese man she lay down close to him on the ground and studied the ceiling until she fell asleep once again.

Heero awoke from a violent dream about the war; he had relived the nightmare of killing thousands of innocent people, over and over again since the end of the wars. Guilt surged through his body as he thought about his nightmare, cold sweat had formed on his skin and his heart was beating rapidly. He sighed, took a deep breath and steadied his breathing by lying back down again, it was only then that he realised that the young girl had somehow managed to end up sleeping beside him on the floor. Heero glared coldly up at Duo who had now inhabited a whole sofa to himself, Duo stirred uneasily in his sleep as if he could feel Heero's cold stare infiltrate his body.

It had been Quatre's idea for the pilots to sleep in the lobby, because Duo and Lafeia were already asleep on the large sofa and later Trowa had fallen asleep beside them in the armchair. He had thought it would be too much hassle for them to wake everyone, and as Heero had to stay with the girl at all times he found that this was the best solution. And this way, it took some of the strain of Heero, because all of them could keep an eye on the girl.

Heero looked down upon the small girl, she was shivering from the cold, he glanced around him looking for a spare blanket and upon not finding any he moved closer to the girl with his own blanket and threw it securely around the both of them.

Lafeia woke feeling warm and comfortable on a soft mattress. _Mattress?_ She thought confused; she looked around to find that she was back in Heero's bed once again. The bright light shining through the windows blinded her sore eyes and she turned her head away quickly and closed her eyes again. When she opened her eyes she could see bright spots appearing before her, she blinked them away to see Heero sitting on an armchair in the corner. _I wonder how long I have been here._

"Heero…?" she started. Heero glared at her, his eyes feeling cold and icy upon her skin. He got up slowly, his face a dark mask, and walked towards her, she watched him carefully her heart hammering in her chest as he moved even closer. He leant across the bed and drew the curtains together. She smelt the strong scent of his cologne reach her as he leant across her.

"That should be easier on your eyes." He said his voice devoid of any emotion. Lafeia glared at him coldly as he sat back down on the armchair and continued to watch her, not really watching her at all, more like seeing through or around her. It made her feel even angrier, but she couldn't understand why, he hadn't actually done anything wrong. _What was I expecting? Did I really think that Heero would kiss me? Don't be stupid Lafeia, he would never do such a thing, why would he? Why would you want him to? _She looked over at him sadness overwhelming in her eyes, his head was bowed and he was reading an old newspaper that had been sitting on the table beside him.

_You don't want him!_ She convinced herself before turning her head away from him and curling up in the bed and falling asleep as her eyes closed and she fell once again into the lonely nothingness.

_Heero laid her down on his bed looking softly at her delicate peaceful face; he tucked her beneath the cover and sat down in the old comfy armchair in the corner of the room getting ready for a long day of doing nothing, it looked like it would be a long time till the girl recovered fully from the drugs and woke up again._

_He had grown close to the girl, even though he had known her for only a short time, he felt the need to be close to her and feel her presence in the room. Even over the past few days as she remained unconscious, sleeping off the rest of the drugs he had watched over her quietly like a guardian, growing closer to her emotionally. At times he was glad she couldn't see him, the way he looked at her, the way he felt about her. No! He pushed the thoughts out of his mind! She's already to close, you cannot let her become any closer, and she would only end up getting hurt. _

_He couldn't let his emotions fail him, not now, probably not ever, he was the perfect soldier and would always remain the perfect soldier, there was no place for love in a soldier's cold heart._

She stirred, groaning sleepily, the sunlight blinded her as she opened her eyes, his eyes found her amongst the sheets and grew soft when they met hers, and knowing he was letting his emotions get the better of him Heero tucked his feelings beneath his stoic mask knowing they would be safer there where no one but him could find them.

He walked over and closed the curtains.

"That should be easier on your eyes." He told her his voice icy and much colder than he meant it to be. She looked over at him for a moment and he seen a look of hurt spread across her face but it was quickly replaced with a cold and angry glare. He ignored the glare, he had received many threatening glares throughout his life, and this was no different. _Yes it is. You care about her. _He shoved the feeling quickly aside and picked up the newspaper on the table beside him to try to remove the unwelcome thoughts from his mind. -The girl turned over after seeing that he was not paying any attention to her and quickly fell asleep.

After he was positive that she was sleeping Heero set the newspaper to the side and sighed deeply. _I need to get away from her. _He thought, and with that he emerged slowly from the chair and headed towards the door.

-8-

The other pilots where lounging in the lobby, relaxing after a long day of training, it was tiring work but they loved it all the same, the boys where trained soldiers who sometimes found it hard to settle into the peace, by training, and only fighting each other, they did not risk others lives but still got to do what they do best.

"Poor Heero, he's been up there for nearly two weeks with that girl. I wonder how he's getting on." Duo said trying to start a conversation, the silence that sometimes developed between his friends sometimes became too eerie for him to manage. He, after all, wasn't the silent type, unlike his fellow comrades.

Quatre looked over at him from the top of his novel. "He's doing fine. I called into his room to see how the both of them were doing, earlier. Heero's used to being antisocial, and the girl can't seem to sleep without feeling his presence in the room." He paused, "I just can't understand that part of my theory, and I know that I'm right, but why she needs him in the room is a mystery to me."

Trowa looked at him silently seeming to be lost in his thoughts, whilst Duo sat staring at him in surprise, "Whaddya mean she can't sleep without feeling his presence in the room? That's crazy, I can't sleep _feeling _his presence in the room; around Heero ya never know when you can let your guard down!" Quatre laughed good-naturedly and smiled at his friend.

"You're right but _she_ seems to trust him, for what reason I don't know, he's always glaring at her with those cold dangerous eyes of his, I don't know why she would want to be around him when he glares at her like that."

"Quatre? I thought you were good on picking up on other people's feelings."

"Huh?" Quatre glanced over to Trowa; it was the first time his tall friend had talked since they finished training. The two boys had a close bond between them, which had been attained during the war, and kept growing even after the peace declaration. They had different personalities but they seemed to just click, like Duo and Heero. "I _am_ good at reading other people's feelings, but I haven't been round the girl much when she's awake."

"…She loves him…" Trowa had said it quietly but he seemed to silence the whole room when he talked.

"How could she love him?" Wufei joined into the conversation.

"I don't know, she just does, you should watch her she's easy to read."

"Love! Are you sure? I mean, they hardly know each other." Duo's eyes widened as he thought about Trowa's words.

"Well maybe she doesn't know it herself yet, but she's definitely falling for him."

"Hmm…" The boys fell silent and analysed their own thoughts on the conversation.

"Duo, where's Hilde? I haven't seen her around here lately." Quatre was referring to Duo's girlfriend, she and Duo had got together just after the war had ended.

Duo emerged from his thoughts. "Hilde…" he said thinking, "Oh yeah! Hilde's with Relena on earth, she went to visit her there last month, I haven't heard from her since, which reminds me…" Duo got up and left the room to find his vidphone and to call Hilde to see if she was okay.

Quatre sighed as he watched the braided man run out of the room. _He'd forgotten to call Hilde. That was a first, normally when one of the couple left the two lovers would be on the phone to each other every night._

"One minute… what happened to Heero and Relena?" Wufei enquired.

"Heero decided it was best if he kept his distance from the princess. I guess he didn't feel ready to be attached to anyone." Quatre answered. _Poor Lafeia, let's hope that Heero doesn't treat her the way he did Relena. _

Once again silence fell upon the room as the pilots drifted into their own thoughts, each one considering their own personal lives.

* * *

So? What do you think? Please, please, please review…

:Allura:


	2. Accidentally in Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I definitely would not mind if I did… but I do not.

A/N – Please tell me if you find this too long, or if it gets too boring at points, or fluffy etc.

In addition, I would like to apologize to any 01xR fans; I do not have anything against Relena and Heero as a couple, in fact, I think they are rather sweet together, but in this fic, I decided to take another turn.

All text in italics is thoughts.

Charliechaz – Thanks for the review. Is one day too long to wait? Lol

ChibiHorsewoman – Thanks for the review, I'm not too good with the whole naming process. But hey!

Forest Scion – Thank you for the review!

Armygundamgirl – Thanks for the review, did you get my email? If you find any errors in this chapter, please do tell me, as goes for anyone, thanks.

**Chapter two: Accidentally in Love**

Lafeia drifted out of the deep sleep slowly, but this time when she exited her world of solitude, seclusion and darkness she felt no pain, this was a great relief. _Great _she thought, _maybe now I will be able to start training._ She opened her eyes blearily and blinked until they focused. She sat up too quickly and felt a nauseating wave sweep over her and make her head spin, she got to her feet and made her way hastily to the door at the side of the room, which she knew lead to a small en suite, and ducked into it.

Heero heard her get up and walk swiftly into the bathroom locking the door behind her, he opened his eyes and stood up shaking his head to regain full consciousness. He walked to the door of the en suite and waited outside it silently.

Lafeia walked out of the room and started when she walked straight into Heero's muscular chest. She steadied herself for a second then glared up at him with shockingly cold eyes, his mask remained unaffected by her gaze but inside he felt a sharp dagger stab at his heart. _So this is what I make people feel like when I do that?_ He thought before stepping out of the girl's way. She hurried around the room gathering her clothes and dressing, not caring if Heero was watching or not. As she was leaving, she strode past him eyes straight ahead, as though she did not even see him. Something stirred deep within him at that but he crushed it making sure his true feelings where not exposed.

Lafeia hurried past him fighting her will to look up into his prussian blue orbs and exited the room. Once she was out, she sighed deeply and turned, running towards the pilot's main lobby.

Lafeia flew into the room, surprised to see that all the pilots where sitting around a warm fire discussing their days plans.

"Hey! How're ya?" Duo asked grinning mischievously whilst the others hid the operations maps and information.

"Err… I'm fine, much better thanks." She answered looking confusedly towards the other pilots.

"Come and sit down, you look cold." Duo said motioning to a seat beside him.

She hesitated and glanced around the four pilots, before nodding her head and sitting down beside Duo in front of the great fireplace. She watched the flames dance hypnotically and felt suddenly relaxed she leant back on the chair letting the warmth from the flames spread through her body.

"Do you feel ready to starting your training? I'm not busy today; I could get you started after lunch." Duo said enthusiastically.

Lafeia tore her eyes away from the flames and looked at him before smiling happily.

"That'd be great Duo. Thanks."

-8-

A few months had passed since Lafeia had arrived at the preventer's base. She had started her training with Duo, her skills were quickly developing, and she had regained all her strength that she had lost. Lafeia has had a few lessons with the other pilots but mainly she took them from Duo. She had also managed to form a bond with most of the pilots and as time passed these bonds grew stronger, especially with Duo whom she had grown particularly fond of. She had been avoiding Heero for the past month, and still was, she had not talked to him for nearly a month now. Lafeia had been allocated her own room, and to her annoyance, this room happened to be situated right next to Heero's room.

"Hah! I don't think we need to work on your duelling skills, you're amazing," Duo said pulling off his protective mask and setting down the lacrosse sword, "but Heero can still help you at that, there are still a few imperfections to be sorted…" He stopped talking as he noticed Lafeia glaring daggers at him at the mention of his Heero's name; Duo frowned at her, "What?"

"It's nothing." She replied sternly.

"You two have fallen out already?" Duo asked shocked. _Ah! Young love._ He grinned inwardly. Lafeia had to smile at the shocked expression on his face.

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on really, but let's not talk about him." When she had finished Duo walked over to her and threw his arm across her shoulders.

"Listen babe, Heero can be a bit distant to people sometimes, he doesn't really like letting people get too close to him. I'm lucky I've got this close to him and survived!" He laughed cheerfully tugging Lafeia's small body closer to his, comforting her and her sorrows.

"I, I don't understand what you're on about Duo…" she stuttered as she pulled away from his grip. He frowned at her for a second but then his frown faded and he smiled impishly.

"You can't fool me?"

"What?" she looked at him puzzled, "Fool you? What are you talking about?"

"I know you like Heero," He hesitated before adding, "a lot!" Lafeia blushed and looked away.

"It's okay, I won't let him know, just… try not to get too attached to him, it wouldn't end up well. He's well… he doesn't like to get too close to other people, the last girl," he sighed deeply, "well he just shut himself off from her instead of dealing with his feelings. I guess he doesn't know how to cope with them except by severing all ties with the person that was causing these feelings to be withdrawn from him." Lafeia looked up at him sadly.

"Who was she?" she asked curiously.

"Relena Peacecraft."

"Relena Peacecraft?" she stepped back in surprise, "You're lying!"

Duo glared at her, "I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie!" his face dead serious for a change.

"Uh... okay." She said ending that part of the conversation. "So? What next?"

Duo grinned at her and grabbed her arm pulling her over to the docking bay.

"Uh, Duo? Where ware you taking me?"

"Wait and see. I swear you'll love it."

Lafeia gasped as Duo pulled his hand away from her eyes, "You trust me with that?" Lafeia asked glancing at the large Leo suit.

"Sure. Why not?" he said grinning even more so, he loved the look of surprise plastered upon her face as he pulled his hand away from her eyes.

"It's been so long since I've piloted a mobile suit. I don't know if I'll remember how to operate it." She stared up nervously at the land Leo with amazement and astonishment.

Duo laughed at her, "You'll remember alright." He guided her into the cockpit and sat her down. "Now you stay here and work out the controls while I go get another suit… and then we'll duel. Only this time with more power…" his eyes opened wide and he stared at her dreamily.

"But Duo…" Lafeia started, pulling him out of his thoughts. He jumped out of the cockpit quickly.

"It'll be fun!" he said laughing, as the door to the cockpit closed she could see Duo running towards the mobile suit opposite her.

"Oh man! This isn't going to be good." She said to the cockpit of the Leo.

"Oh man! This is gonna be awesome!" Duo said overwhelmed with the excitement of being in his favourite place again, the cockpit of a mobile suit. _If only it could be Deathscythe's _He thought gloomily and for the hundredth time cursed Quatre for talking him into disposing of it.

-8-

Lafeia climbed out of the cockpit of the Leo and ran over to Duo throwing her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" she apologized, still laughing at what had happened. At the end of the duel, Duo had won of course; she unintentionally knocked over his mobile suit sending it crashing forcefully into the back wall with Duo still in it.

Duo of course was laughing his head off! That girl contained some power, not anything against his, but still a lot! He had not been injured but when he seen her face, so shocked at what she had done, appear to him on his monitor, he could not help laughing.

"It s'ok." He smiled, amused. "I'm fine! However, I think that is enough for today's lesson. I need to go get some food, I'm famished!"

She laughed at him happily. Throwing his arm around her shoulders, again Duo cheerfully led both of them back to their rooms.

Heero sat in her room, waiting for her to arrive whilst trying to get a hold of his own thoughts.

_If I become too emotionally involved with her, it could get out of hand… dangerous, we would be walking on unsteady land. I cannot risk it. I just cannot… And what about her, being in a relationship with the perfect soldier, it wouldn't be fair on her, it would bring her too much pain, and I don't want to do that to her, _not now that he… loved her?_ Is love the word?_ He did not know. He had not been in love with anyone before. He ran his hands down his face feeling stressed and uneasy. _I do not want to cause her any pain, if I do love her…_

He had decided the best way around this was to avoid her for as long as possible, but as he did this his feelings inside of him were uprising, leaving him feeling angry and annoyed. He knew eventually that he was going to have to confront his feelings and Lafeia.

Lafeia crept silently down to the still hallways unaccompanied. She opened the door to her room slowly, it was late and she did not want Heero to hear her from the next room and come in to tell her off. She had sat up with Duo talking and eating for a while. It was now 3 am, she had not realised how late it was, she had just been enjoying Duo's company, and it was such a change being around such a friendly, cheerful person rather than a serious, humourless person like Heero.

It was dark inside the room. She fumbled around on the wall beside the door, cursing herself for not learning where the light witch was. After a few moments, she found nothing, so she slowly moved across the room to his bed feeling around for familiar objects to tell her where she was. Suddenly the light switched on, Lafeia swung around swiftly to realize that Heero was standing at the side of the room his hand leaning gently on the light switch. He glared at her suspiciously with striking blue eyes pinning her every movement with its breath-catching stare.

"He…Heero!" Lafeia started, startled by his sudden presence. Heero continued to glare at her; he stood motionless while an awkward silence hung like a dark drape over the room.

"Where have you been? It's half three Lafeia!" he enquired after a while.

"I was training with Duo earlier and then we sat downstairs talking for a while, sorry, I totally lost track of time." She looked up at him apologetically, unconsciously stepping forward to close the space between them.

His eyes became cold again, angry and yet full of emotion. "I've been worried about you; I've been waiting up here for you from after tea."

"Worried?" she questioned, confused.

Heero looked directly into her eyes and for the first time they did not feel so dangerous and threatening, they softened gradually and the anger faded into the sea of Prussian blue and she melted, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"Worried…" he whispered faintly, his voice full of emotion. He was getting carried away again but this time he did not care, the barrier restraining his feelings for her shattered and the warrior in him drifted away as he became more human than ever. He reached out for her face, feeling hot sparks dance energetically up his arm and burning his hand, yet he did not want to move he enjoyed the burning sensation spreading through his body at the soft touch of her skin.

As his hand tenderly touched her face she once again felt a chill shoot up her spine and she shivered, yet his skin against hers burnt, hot sparks spreading from her head to toe. His sudden movement caught her by surprise; she choked on her breath, not finding any words willing to leave her throat.

He pulled her closer staring deeply into her stunning teal eyes. She froze and tensed in his arms, then gradually relaxed gazing deeply back, getting lost in the enchantment of his eyes.

Slowly he drew her head towards his, the coldness in his Prussian eyes melted for only her to see, as their lips met. Lafeia slipped her arms about his neck, entwining her slender fingers in his soft hair. She sighed with pleasure as Heero's free hand made its way slowly up under the back of her shirt, caressing the small of her back. Lafeia deepened the kiss gradually, as she ran her fingers through his unruly hair.

Several minutes passed before they finally parted each at a loss for breath. Lafeia smiled softly up at Heero feeling closer to him than she had anyone before. She closed her eyes placing her head upon his chest, listening to the steady, comforting beat of his heart.

Heero watched her as she smiled peacefully up at him her eyes revealing her affection towards him. He felt annoyed at himself for letting his emotions take over. _Why do I feel so strongly for this girl? Why have I let her get so close? Why have I been so selfish? She is going to get hurt now and one way or another it will be my fault. _He gazed at her silently his eyes growing gradually colder as he forced the unwanted thoughts out of his head. He _wanted _to enjoy this moment with the girl he loved. _Yes loved… that was definitely the right word, but it was an accident, he did not mean for it to happen. Nevertheless, his feelings for her over the past month had grown so strong that there was no other world to describe it. He was falling for her; he was accidentally in love…_

She crawled into her bed drawing him in beside her, once they had both settled upon the bed Lafeia curled up and cuddled close to him finding security in his protecting form. She fell asleep quickly, as she had drained most of her energy during training earlier.

Heero lay next to her silently, knowing that she could sense his presence even in her sleep, he watched her and after a while he reached over and stroked her face with his fingers, she stirred slightly at his touch but soon fell back into a deep sleep again. He lay for hours just watching her, feeling like he could do this forever; before he felt tiredness overwhelm him, his eyelids closed reluctantly and Heero felt himself, for the first time in a long time, fall into a peaceful and undisturbed sleep.

Heero awoke early the next morning, weary and exhausted from his late night, he smiled at Lafeia's small form resting next to him. He did not want to wake her, even though he knew he had to; she looked so stunning lying on his bed, her long ebony black hair draped like a dark silk curtain against her pale face. He leant forward pushing her hair softly away from her face, and kissed her lightly on the lips. She groaned softly but did not open her eyes.

She had to wake up soon, her training would be starting in around an hour and knowing her, she would spend ages in the bathroom getting ready, as usual, _women, _Heero thought

Heero leant over her again, this time giving her a real kiss. A faint smile formed on her lips yet her eyes remained closed. She moaned in a dreamy, not-yet conscious voice, "Heero?"

She sat up slowly searching for the face she longed to see. She smiled upon finding him at the edge of the bed and shuffled closer. Heero wrapped his arms around her small figure drawing her closer to him. He held her for what seemed like forever. She seemed to fit in his grasp perfectly as a hand would a glove.

Kissing her forehead Heero stood slowly, walking towards the door.

"Come down for breakfast in about twenty minutes." He said as his hand reached the door handle, he pulled it open effortlessly and disappeared into the still dark hallway.

Lafeia watched him go, her heart ached for his presence and the feel of his arms intertwined securely around hers, the taste of his lips… _damn it. I need to stop doing that!_

She glanced at the clock, _5.30. _She groaned despairingly, yearning for more time to sleep. After all the time she had spent here, she still was not used to these early mornings of training.

-8-

Hilde stepped through the door to the main lobby silently, a great smile plastered on her face. Her dark blue bangs hung aimlessly in front of her deep blue eyes. She dropped her luggage by the entrance and cheerfully took in her surroundings. _Home, sweet home._ She thought.

She noticed four pilots sitting in the lounging area and smelt the sweet aroma of breakfast emerging from the kitchen. _That is definitely Duo's work._

"Duo…"

"…Hilde?" Duo raced out from the kitchen, once he caught sight of her he grinned foolishly, "Hilde babe! You're home! How was your trip?" Hilde rushed over to him wrapping her arms around him. Duo returned the hug by squeezing her petite form gently. She looked up at him, her deep blue eyes wide and joyful.

"It was good." She smiled gracefully, "I missed you Duo." Duo's grin faded slightly, he looked down at Hilde, gazing into her strikingly beautiful eyes his own eyes full of the great emotion he was experiencing… definitely love.

He stooped down taking her lips in his and kissing her passionately.

"Oh guys!" Quatre said as he glanced over at the blissful couple. "Get a room!" At this Duo pulled away from his girl who was now blushing a dark shade of red and grinned impishly, "Preferably my room, eh!" Hilde punched him playfully.

"Duo! You pervert." She laughed.

"How's Relena keeping?" Quatre asked Hilde courteously.

"She's great! She's handling the 'vice foreign minister' position amazingly." She smiled kindly at the blonde haired boy. "Speaking of Relena; I have something for you guys…" She sprinted over to her bag, rummaging around she eventually found what she was looking for. She withdrew five envelopes from her bag and walked around each pilot handing each of them an envelope.

"They're invitations," She said, and noticing the confused frowns on their faces, she added, "to her eighteenth birthday party this Saturday."

Quatre nodded in acknowledgement, "I almost forgot about her birthday." He frowned guiltily.

"Each of you is required to bring one guest each, it doesn't necessarily have to be a partner it could be a friend." Hilde glanced nervously at Heero; she had added the last part for him.

-8-

Lafeia strode down the corridor, her hair still slightly damp from her shower, and arrived at the entrance to the lobby. She opened the door and stepped into the warm room.

All sets of eyes turned to the newcomer. Lafeia stepped back timidly.

"Mornin'." Duo greeted her kindly. Lafeia gazed at him, he stood happily, his hand intertwined with another girl's hand, the girl was small with short black-blue hair and bangs that hung in front of her face, half covering deep blue eyes that seemed to glisten happily like a sea of sapphires.

"Lafeia, this is Hilde. Hilde, this is Lafeia." Duo said forwardly. Lafeia greeted the girl with a nod.

"Hello Lafeia. It's nice to meet you." She smiled then turned and muttered to Duo quietly, "Who is she, why's she here?"

"I'll explain later." Duo muttered back to her.

Lafeia looked at the couple suspiciously, _so this is the 'amazing Hilde' Duo keeps talking about. _She walked over and took a seat beside Heero on the small couch nearest the main entrance and right next to a large window. She had noticed that Heero always sat on a seat where he had a view of two or more escape routes.

Heero took her hand in his as she settled on the couch. She was surprised; she had not expected him to show any indication of their relationship to the other pilots.

Duo watched Lafeia as she took her seat next to Heero._ Hah! She has to sit next to him, even when there is like five other spare seats in the room. No, she's not obvious at all! I'll wind her up about that later… heh heh._

He noticed Heero's hand flinch as she sat down. _That was weird, what happened there?_ Then Heero moved gradually closer to her, his hand reaching out to grasp hers and pull it closer to him. Duo watched in astonishment as Lafeia smiled up at him, her eyes containing a look of confusion and delight. He glanced around to see if any of the other pilots had noticed this. They had not. They were sitting quietly looking down at their invitations, most likely pondering who they would invite as their guest.

"Uhh… I'll go check on the breakfast then shall I?" Hilde said, obviously she too had spotted Heero make his subtle move. "Duo can you help me?" She grabbed the sleeve of Duo's shirt and dragged him by the arm into the kitchen.

"What's going on in there?" Hilde asked him demandingly.

"What do ya mean, babe?" Duo asked innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean…" she hesitated, "Between Heero and that girl, I mean Heero showing emotions for that girl!"

"You know as much as I do, babe. I haven't a clue what is going on there. I never thought that Heero would have even thought about letting the girl get so close."

"Oh Relena…" Hilde looked up at Duo, "Isn't going to be happy. He leaves her to get as far away as he can from any form of emotional contact, to be with another girl here, who he does by the way, have emotional contact with! I don't get it."

"Me neither. She's a nice girl though, Lafeia I mean."

"What has that to do with anything Duo?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with anything, it's just that she's a nice girl and we can trust her. In a way I think she's good for him, Heero I mean." Duo said looking confused at where the conversation was heading.

"You trust her? Does that mean that she knows you guys are Gundam pilots?"

"Well err no, but she doesn't need to know that now! We'll tell her when the time is right, or Heero will tell her when he feels the time is right." Duo said feeling flustered.

"Look, it's just that… Relena understood that Heero could not cope with the emotional restraints and everything even though it caused her so much grief, but she will not be able to understand why he is now with this girl… Lafeia."

"I know babe. Look I understand where you are coming from. However, she really does love him. Moreover, Heero would not get himself into something like that if he did not think it was the right thing to do, so he must have feelings for her. Hilde… He never loved Relena, he cared for her as the symbol of peace and he protected her as a friend-like figure, but he just couldn't take it any further."

"But why with this other girl? Why not with Relena?" Hilde asked her head dizzy from the stress. _Relena is not going to be happy,_ was about all that was running through her head. She was not even listening to what Duo had to say or picturing the situation from anyone else's point of view except Relena's. She had lost her normally so cool and calm head, for her worry and concern about her best friend.

"I just told you Hilde." He frowned down at her. "Look calm down would ya? This isn't that big a deal. Heero did not love Relena; nobody can do anything about that, not even you. The sooner you realise that the easier this will be for everyone, especially you!" He leant down to kiss her gently on the lips before roaming over to finish the breakfast he had been making before she arrived.

"You hungry Hil?" he asked trying to change the topic and beamed over towards her, his mischievous grin never faltering. She smiled back at him in return.

"Too right I am!"

-8-

"Sir!" reported a soldier from the rebel base, "I hacked into a few computers and found valid information on the girl named, 'Lafeia Gartner'."

"Good work. Show me." His master replied with a sly grin upon his face. The soldier stepped up and handed his master the paperwork he had had seized in his hand.

The man's face grew dark as he read the sheets of paper. After he had finished reading, he looked up to the soldier who had handed him the paperwork.

"Lafeia Gartner." He said, mainly to himself. "She's only eighteen?"

"Yes sir." the soldier, replied.

"This girl who has been such an annoyance to this economy is only eighteen?" asked the man in disbelief.

"Yes sir." The soldier replied again his blonde messy hair spilling out from under his beret and his steel blue eyes glaring from the shadows.

"Hmm… Very well. Where is she at the minute Roster?" he asked the soldier.

"She is alleged to be staying at the preventer's base which is situated not far from the Sank kingdom. However, the members of the preventers' base are all attending a gathering at the Peacecraft Mansion tomorrow evening. That would be a perfect place and occasion to carry out the plan sir."

"That's very well then." The other man repeated again. "Roster, I am placing you in charge of this mission because I hold a lot of faith and trust in you. Please do not let me down. I want that girl brought back to me from that party. Alive!"

"Yes sir. I will not let you down sir." The soldier nodded to the older man respectfully and turned on his heel, quickly marching to the door.

"Remember Roster, alive." The man told the soldier as he walked out the door.

The young man sat in his maroon armchair by a comforting warm fire. The fire blazed in his emerald green eyes, which seemed to be empty of anything but grief. He ran a hand through his soft hazel hair, brushing it out of his eyes so he could glare even more intensively at the fire that raged before him in the cold of the fireplace.

The man was aged in his middle twenties, but as he sat thinking about his options, he looked much older.

The young girl that he was intent on capturing had caused him too much trouble, she had a hold of a lot of confidential information that she should not have ever known. How she found the information out in the first place was a mystery to him, all he knew was that he had to stop this information from being disclosed to anyone else. The man sighed; he was not looking for violence. It was the last thing he wanted. However, if it meant putting his men and all his objectives out of danger, he was prepared to do anything, even if it meant silencing the young girl, permanently.

-8-

Heero led her up to his room. Once inside he locked the door carefully turning towards the young girl that he had escorted there. Her eyes enraptured his mind, forcing his body to move closer to hers.

"What's this?" Lafeia asked taking the envelope out of his hand, as he got nearer. She carefully opened up the small piece of paper contained within the envelope and read it thoroughly before glancing up to him curiously. "A dance?"

"Hn…" he replied, although this time when he said it his voice wasn't cold and bitter as it usually was. It was soft and kind. It was like this for her and only for her.

"Are you going?" she questioned.

"I have to, I guess."

"You have to? Why?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, in curiosity.

"It's Relena's party. I cannot just decline the invite. I've…" he thought for a moment, "I think I've been avoiding her for too long. I think that it is about time I dealt with the past. My past."

"Oh." She said it with a sombre tone, he looked at her, cupping her delicate chin in his hand and raising her gaze to meet his.

"However, I cannot face it alone…" He stared reassuringly at her with his Prussian blue eyes never leaving her teal orbs, which seemed to shimmer gently like the sea would shimmer under the warm glare of the sun.

"Lafeia. Would you come with me? Please?" He asked her, his voice gentle and deep. Her eyes lit up as he talked.

"But of course."

He was trapped there was no way out of this one, no turning back. He was falling in love with her, every time he glanced at her he fell even more deeply in love with her. _What awaits me at the bottom? Can I fall forever? On the other hand, is there a point where I have fallen so far that only danger looms darkly at the bottom, for her and for me…? _

He shook the thoughts out his mind. Not wanting to think anymore, he just wanted to enjoy this while it lasted. He could only hope it lasted forever.

He pulled her in close enjoying the warmth of her, the feel of her; everything about her just had him so addicted.

She looked up at him, her eyes longing for him to kiss her as he had the night before. As if reading her thoughts he bowed his head down slowly, encircling his arms around her diminutive form and tracing his hands down her spine till they found the bottom of her shirt; his hands sneaked underneath the shirt and caressed the small of her back and her waist. He kissed her gently, and bringing his hands back up to her head felt her soft glossy hair fall through his fingers as he pushed her head slightly closer, deepening the kiss further. She guided her hands up to his head tangling her hands in his unruly hair.

Lafeia woke the next morning feeling so comfortable that she felt she did not want to move, she opened her eyes blearily, noting that it was still dark outside, she glanced over at the clock, _05.30! Why am I waking up so early? _Something shifted beside her and she turned her head around slowly on the soft feathery pillow to see Heero sleeping soundly next to her. She smiled when she noticed how close they were lying and how his arm was wrapped securely around hers. _He is so protective,_ she thought as she leant over to kiss him tenderly on the lips. His eyes blinked open quickly as his body tensed up next to her, but as his eyes focused on her smiling face he relaxed and closed his eyes again briefly. He groaned sleepily and wrapped his arms tighter around her bringing her close to his chest; she snuggled up closer to him taking in the heat from his body and kissed him again for a moment. As she pulled away, she felt his hand push the back of her neck towards him as he leant in for another kiss, but this time it was not a brief kiss he was looking for, it was a long passionate kiss.

As they both pulled away at a loss of breath, Lafeia looked at him deeply, taking in every inch of his face as if trying to memorize him. His Prussian blue orbs glowered at her and she placed another kiss on his lips before struggling out of the tangle of warm sheets and into the chill of the cold room. She shivered as her foot hit the cold tiles beneath her and she ran quickly to the en suite, thinking that the quicker she moved the less her feet would have to touch the cold surface below them.

"Ahhh…" she cried as she felt the chill surge up her body, lunging straight into the en suite.

Heero watched from his position on the bed as she scurried quickly into the en suite. He laughed slightly at the sight of her hopping from one foot to the next like a playful child. As she made it into the en suite, she slammed the door behind her unintentionally. Heero rolled over onto his back and stared at his plain white ceiling. He felt the absence of her beside him and missed the warmth of her body snuggled beside his. He laughed as he imagined what Duo would say if he saw him act like this.

After a while, he heard the shower running and knew that it would be a while before Lafeia would emerge from the en suite, and feeling tiredness suddenly flood over him, he slowly and reluctantly closed his eyes.

-8-

Lafeia stepped out of the shower, throwing a towel around her warm body. She shuddered at the coldness of the room after stepping out of such a warm relaxing shower.

She opened the door to the bedroom and clutching one hand over the towel to keep it form slipping off her, she stepped silently into the room. Heero was still asleep on his bed. _I'll let him sleep while I get changed _she thought as she headed over to her dresser to find some clothes, she had went into the small village situated not far from the preventers base, to buy herself some clothes. She fished out a pair of jeans and a plain black tee shirt. _I will not be doing training today as I guess the pilots will all be getting ready for the party. Therefore, I guess jeans would be appropriate. _She sighed gently and glanced over in Heero's direction, resting her eyes upon his serene form.

"Don't look, I'm getting changed." She said in case he was not asleep, she felt it was too risky not warning him. Tearing her eyes away from him, she grabbed the black tee shirt with one hand and still clutching the towel around her in the other she slipped it down slightly. She grabbed her underwear letting the towel slip to the ground and quickly stepped into them. She pulled the tee shirt over her head thrusting her arms through the openings and went to reach for her jeans when she heard Heero groan. She jumped slightly turning around to face him, he stared up at her sleepily and her face flushed a deep shade of pink as she was standing with only her underwear and a tee shirt on her.

_I told you not to look._

"…look, I'm getting…" Heero only half heard the stifled words through his sleep. The words, her voice, they seemed to will him to wake up. He drifted slowly out of his sleep. _What did she say?_ He thought as he groaned, trying to open his eyes sleepily and focus his gaze in the direction her voice had come from. He was surprised to see that she was only half dressed and standing with only her underwear and a small black tee shirt to cover her. He looked down to see a towel draped across the floor and realised that she was only out of the shower. He lifted his gaze to her eyes and she blushed gently and frowned at him.

She was sure she saw the ghost of a smile slither across his lips as she frowned at him. He sat up slowly, and got off the bed to come over and wrap his arms around her, his bare chest pushed against hers.

She saw a glint of something in his eyes, she was unsure what it was but it seemed to be something like lust. She went to tell him off for doing this while she was trying to get changed, when he dragged her closer; sealing anything she had to say with his lips.

Pulling away a while later, Lafeia looked into his eyes which where only mere centimetres away from hers, her own eyes flashing with a growing passion.

"Hmm…" she said leaning in to place a chaste kiss on his lips, "We need to go get ready." She kissed him again lightly, "We have a party to attend to!" She pulled away from him and smiled up at him excitement blazing in her eyes.

_Why is she excited about this party? I mean it is only a party, Relena's party, and they are definitely not the best parties. _He smiled back at her, his feelings for her evident in his eyes, yet he was not doing anything to stop them being noticed by her. He watched her as she glided out of his reach, picking up her jeans and putting them on slowly whilst trying to avoid his enduring stare. She glanced up at him briefly, smiled and moved around the room again finding everything she needed.

Provoking his body to move he tore his gaze away from her delicate figure and walked into the en suite to get ready himself.

* * *

'_Love is like a virus. It can happen to anyone, at anytime.' Maya Angelou_

Thanks for reading. Please do review and tell me what you think. They are very much appreciated no matter what point of view they are from. Also if you find any spelling or grammatical errors (or even anything that does not make sense) please alert me. I have proof read this quite a few times but as you all probably know, it is quite hard to find your own mistakes.

Anyways, I intend to have a bit less fluff in the next chapter and more action lol.

Allura


	3. An Unforgettable Party

Disclaimer: No, i already told you... i do not own Gundam Wing or any of its amazingly cool characters. But I do own Lafeia Gartner and Adam Foster!

The italic paragraphs placed between two marks, signals that you are reading a flashback.

Oh and the song lyrics in bold italics belongs to the Counting Crows - Accidentally in Love.

A/N - As before, it would be greatly appreciated if you commented on this chapter, with ideas and what you think is bad/good etc. Thank you!

Calli Maxwell - Thanks. I think there is a bit more conversations in this, but i'm not sure. Thanks for the advice anyways.

Armygundamgirl - The UK isn't all that far away from Germany, Sprechen Sie deutsch? Sorry i have to take German in school lol. Thanks that would be great, just check them whenever you get the time and email me the errors or something.

Charliechaz - Yeah, sorry this chapter wasn't up as quickly as the last, i needed to edit a few things lol. Yay! I've got a number one fan... lol. Thanks for the review, it's greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter three: An Unforgettable Party**

"Hello? Catalonia speaking." A strong feminine voice answered the phone.

"Hi Dorothy, it is Quatre." Quatre replied politely. "How are you keeping? I am sorry I have not talked to you in a while; this whole Preventers thing is a lot more time consuming than I would have thought. In the past week all I've been doing is paperwork."

"I'm fine Quatre, although I have to say I've missed your company around here recently. Maybe we should catch up soon; I have so much to tell you. How about today? What are you doing today, Quatre?" He could here the tone of her voice get excited with the anticipation of meeting him again. He chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Actually that's why I was calling you…"

"Great, I'm free all day today; you could come over at anytime you want!"

"No. No Dorothy, I was calling to ask you to accompany me to a party."

"A party…" she said, thoughtfully.

"Yes. Relena Peacecraft is holding this party at her house, and well we were all asked to bring a guest and the first person I thought of was you. I know it's kind of late notice…" He was cut off half way through his sentence.

"You say it is Relena Peacecraft's party? I would love to go with you, Quatre. It will give us time to catch up on things. Thanks for inviting me."

"It would be an honour to attend any party with you on my arm, Dorothy." Dorothy laughed gently as he said this.

"Thanks Quatre, when and where should I meet you?"

"You could come over here at around five o'clock. That's when the other pilots have planned to meet their guests."

"Perfect. See you then, Quatre."

"See you." Once he heard the tone from the other receiver signalling that she had hung up, he too hung up his phone and walked over to his walk in closet to pick out his suit for tonight.

-8-

"Wufei, I'd love to go to the party with you!" Sally Po cried down the phone. Wufei breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God, that is over and done with._ Wufei felt comfortable with Sally, which was a good thing, as he couldn't talk to many girls, not that he was shy, he just found that girls could often be too annoying for him to deal with.

"Good. I'll see you here, at the preventer's base, at seventeen hundred hours." He hung up the phone without saying goodbye; feeling it was a waste of time; he shoved the phone back into the pocket of his preventer's jacket and headed back down the main street to the preventers base with a bag full of groceries in his hand. It was his turn to fetch the shopping. _That stupid Duo, he eats way too much food! _

-8-

"Raven…" Trowa called out to the girl in front of him. The girl turned around and once she figured out who called her name, she smiled. The girl had shoulder length black hair that hung around her head in ringlets. She gazed kindly at him through deep chocolate brown eyes.

"Oh hello Trowa, How are you?" She leant over and kissed him lightly on the lips. She pulled away, smiling at him. Trowa who was startled by this kiss, was not smiling, his face remained as stoic and serious as ever, his dark olive green eyes where the only part of him that held the surprise he was feeling. Raven looked deeply into his eyes, knowing exactly where to look to read his emotions. _How does she know?_ He wondered.

"I've always wanted to do that." She said, her gaze never faltering from the deep emotionless gaze that was returned to her from him.

"I've been fine…" Trowa started feeling somewhat nervous, "However I was hoping that you would attend a party with me, as my date." For the first time emotion broke through Trowa's monotonous voice. Raven's eyes lit up with astonishment, and she hesitated for a moment, doubting his words.

"Yes, Trowa, of course I will."

Trowa leant forward kissing her gently on the lips, but deepened the kiss quickly before pulling away.

"I've always wanted to do that." His voice was once again void of any emotion however; Raven could swear that she saw the trace of a smile dance across his lips, before he tore off in the other direction, leaving her feeling stunned.

-8-

"So do I still have to bring a guest to this party of Relena's or what?" Duo asked Hilde as she picked out his attire for the evening.

"Of course you do. Me." She answered getting frustrated at his lack of Tuxedos.

"Yeah I know that, but the invitation states that we 'must' bring partners, and I'm sure that goes for everyone, well with the exception of Heero, who she must have thought would be coming alone, right?"

"That is correct. She did think that he would turn up alone. However, what has that to do with you bringing another person apart from me? _I'm_ your guest Duo." Duo could tell that she was losing her patience.

"Well you must have got an invitation too, right? So that means that we both 'must' bring other guests."

"No you idiot." Hilde said with a sigh. "Relena obviously knows about us, so she never gave me an invitation, so that we could go together. Get it now?"

"Ah right." Duo answered grinning foolishly.

"Duo where's that tux you wore last year to the preventers dance? You know the one with the navy pants and jacket, and that cute little bow tie."

"It's in there somewhere." Duo walked over to the closet, reached up to the top shelf and pulled down his tuxedo, which dropped into his arms. Hilde frowned at him.

"Duo! You do not fold tuxedos or any other type of formal wear!"

"And why not?" he asked, his face holding a look of puzzlement and bewilderment.

"Because, it gets creased if you do! Like it is now." She held the clothes up in the air to get a better full look at them. "Oh Duo…"

"Its okay babe, I'll just take them to the dude down the road and have him dry clean them or something."

"It's too late for that now Duo. I'll take them downstairs and get the creases out meanwhile, you get showered or something." She threw him a look of annoyance, but Duo walked closer to her, taking her into his arms and kissed her passionately. He pulled away, opening his eyes and smiled at her, she smiled back. _I knew you couldn't stay mad at me for long, not with the kisses I give, _he muttered to himself before grabbing a towel out of the closet and heading towards the shower, leaving Hilde standing in the centre of his room holding his clothes. _Duo…_ she thought, the frown she had earlier finding its way back onto her face. She sighed intensely and sauntered out of the room to iron the creases carefully out of Duo's attire.

-8-

All the gundam pilots except Heero and their chosen guests stood in the front hall of the preventers building while Quatre explained the travel arrangements to them.

"So who's going to be travelling in the limo?" Duo asked, throwing Quatre a look that screamed 'it better be me'. Quatre chuckled at him and looked out of the main entrance to see if the limousine had arrived.

"All of us, except Heero and Lafeia. Heero decided that he would rather make his own way there. I'm guessing he's going to take his own car." Quatre told them.

"Why's he doing that?" Duo questioned.

"I guess he'd rather avoid the grand entrances, you know Heero, in fact you know him best out of all of us. You should know why."

"I'm a little closer to him than you guys but that doesn't mean I understand him anymore than you guys do." The others including Trowa, laughed at his comment.

Quatre glanced past the door as he heard the limo pull up at the driveway.

"Here's our ride." He ushered the others out and into the car and slowly glanced up to the window that exposed a view into Heero's room. He saw Heero who was standing at the window staring back at him, but he slowly moved away from the window and out of his sight. Quatre sighed and turned towards the limo and stepped inside to join the others.

-8-

Heero backed away from the window after seeing Quatre glance up at him. Quatre had earlier tried to convince him and Lafeia to ride in the limo with him and the other pilots, to Relena's party. However, he had decided it was best for both Lafeia and him if they did not show up with the crowd, as Relena would most likely come out to greet them. If they went alone, he could sneak them in the back entrance. After working as Relena's head bodyguard for a year, he knew the Peacecraft mansion all too well. He felt it would be best for both of them if they avoided Relena for as long as possible.

"Ahem." Lafeia cleared her throat to get his attention. He turned around to see her standing in front of him in a teal dress that perfectly matched the colour of her eyes, the dress flowed down her body gracefully enhancing her curves and clutching tightly yet gently at her waist. Heero gasped at the sight of her. She was beautiful. He was spellbound and besotted at her beauty that was radiated in her attire.

Knowing that her appearance pleased him, she smiled. Lafeia observed him in his tuxedo. He had on black pants, a dark green jacket that seemed to intensify the strength of his Prussian blue orbs and underneath a white shirt with a black bowtie, which was left undone. She moved closer to him knotting the bowtie into place.

Heero, at a loss for words took her in kissing her and portraying his feelings towards her in that single kiss.

"We should get going." He said monotonously, as he broke the kiss. Lafeia nodded her head in agreement, incapable of saying anything after their intense kiss that had left her lips tingling, stinging and yet longing for more. They left the room after Heero had securely locked it and headed out to where his car was parked.

"Are you okay?" Lafeia asked him as they entered the car, noticing that his face was slightly paler and he was a lot quieter than usual, which for Heero, was silent.

"Hn." Nodding his head slowly and not trusting himself to speak. _Why am I so nervous? _He thought,_ what is there to be nervous about? ...Relena…_

_"…Heero…" she called softly her voice seeming to echo in the room around him. He found himself looking down upon the young honey-blonde girl, not able to tear his eyes away from her gaze._

"… _I love you…" She looked up at him delicately, waiting for his reaction, her cerulean blue eyes shimmering in the light and softening in his eyes. He was released from her gaze as he glanced around her room cautiously. He knew there was nobody there but he could not help sensing a strange forbidding presence concealed from his eyes._

_His eyes darkened as he stepped back, away from her. "…Relena…" he looked at her apologetically, his eyes begging for some form of forgiveness._

_Relena closed her eyes, the feelings of rejection too overwhelming for her. A few minutes later, she opened her eyes again and was startled to realise that Heero was no longer in the room; she glanced around hoping that her eyes where deceiving her and focused on something unusual, the window was open and her curtains were fluttering in the gentle breeze that emerged from the outside. She ran towards the window and leaning forward carelessly, called out to him._

"…_Heero…" he heard her calling him as he walked down the cold, empty streets, Echoing of the brick walls surrounding him. He felt a twinge of regret towards his actions._

"_I'm sorry Relena…" he whispered as he slipped into the shadows, allowing them to swallow him whole, hiding him from the world and letting him become one with the darkness around him. _

"Heero," Lafeia's voice sprung him from his thoughts, bringing him back, once again to reality, the wrath of the reality he knew he wasn't ready to face. That reality being Relena. "Are you sure you're okay?" He shook his head trying to rid himself of the thoughts and memories.

"Yeah." He said looking at Lafeia reassuringly. Even though Lafeia didn't fully believe him, she felt it was safest to leave him be. Heero pushed the keys into the keyhole and started the engine, driving off into the night and leaving the preventers base behind him.

-8-

"Quatre!" her voice rang out to him, attracting him to her small, delicate form, which was moving hastily towards him as he emerged from the limo.

"Relena, it's great to see you again, Happy Birthday." He said stepping forward to embrace her warmly as the others left the car and came into view.

"Relena!" Hilde cried upon escaping the limo, "Happy Birthday," she looked her best friend up and down, and noted that she was wearing a light pink gown that hung onto her every curve, falling of neatly at her shoulders, and passing down her legs stopping just below her knees. "You look so pretty!" she hugged her tightly and then turned to Duo, linking arms with him and taking the parcel out of his other hand and thrusting it at Relena with a wide grin, resembling one of Duo's, plastered upon her face.

"Thanks." Relena stated as she took the parcel out of Hilde's grasp. The others gathered around her greeting her individually and introducing her to their guests.

"Where's Heero?" Relena asked missing his presence amongst the crowd of friends.

"Umm… he'll be here shortly. Don't worry." Duo reassured her, "Now, have you any food anywhere? I'm famished!" Everyone laughed at him as Relena played hostess and escorted her friends inside.

Once inside, Relena lead her guests into the sitting room, which she regularly used for entertaining. Sitting on one couch was Milliardo Peacecraft and his newly wedded wife, Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft. Milliardo, formerly known as Zechs was sitting close to Lucrezia, or as she preferred to be called; Noin, their hands were tenderly linked together as they conversed with each other quietly. As soon as the others were escorted into the room, they stopped talking and looked up, smiling.

"Long time no see." Called Noin as they stood in the doorway.

"Yeah how long has it been? Six months?" Duo questioned.

"Something like that." Milliardo added.

"Oh, how was the wedding?" Hilde asked enthusiastically, none of the pilots had been invited since Milliardo and Noin had decided to go with a small private wedding, as they wanted to avoid too much attention.

Noin began explaining their wedding in great detail, with Milliardo filling in some blank gaps, as the pilots and their guests surrounded them on other couches listening intently on what they had to say. Relena however went back outside to greet other guests and escort them into another hall, the main ballroom, where the rest of her guests had assembled.

When Relena came back, Noin had finished describing her wedding to everyone and they where now back to talking about the minor details on everyone's day to day life.

"Hi. Would you all mind coming with me, so that we can gather in the ballroom?"

"Ballroom?" gasped Raven, Trowa's guest, in great admiration, "You have a ballroom? That's amazing." Trowa put his hand around her waist and smiling slightly to Relena, followed her. The others followed suit. Rising from their seats and walking to the ballroom.

_Now the only person not here is Heero. _Relena sighed.

-8-

Heero's car pulled up in the driveway noiselessly, and much to Heero's relief, no one, not even Relena, came out to greet them. Heero assisted Lafeia out of the car by offering her his hand. She accepted his gesture and took his hand, letting him pull her out of the car with quite a bit of force, a little more than he had intended.

"Sorry." He said to her, his voice husky yet sincere. She looked up at him, her lips where mere inches from his and he had to fight back the urge to kiss her there and then.

The wind blew harshly as it combed through Heero's hair and caressed his face with icy fingers. However, Heero noticed that it seemed to dance like magic in Lafeia's hair as he caught a few wisps of her silky hair fly across his face. Under the moonlight, her ebony hair appeared to shine more vibrantly with a soft silvery glow penetrating from the edges _almost like a halo_ he noted. Her gaze caught his and her eyes sparkled like a star in the sky's endless sea as she smiled at him clumsily, having just stumbled out of his car. He smiled back at her and wrapping his arm around her waist escorting her up the moonlit path. He led Lafeia up to one of the back doors and stopped outside it.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked her concern taking over his normally so serious face.

"Ready for what?" she laughed quietly.

"For meeting Relena, I have a feeling she's not going to warm up to you very easily." A frown crossed his face at the thought, he really just wanted Relena to accept Lafeia so they could both get past what happened last year and move on in their lives.

"I'm as ready as you are." She hesitated, "Actually I take that back, I'm definitely more ready than you are." She squeezed his arm and Heero could no longer fight back his urge to kiss her. He gently took her lips in his and pulled her up close to him, his hands resting around her back as she tensed up in surprise then relaxed again in his arms.

They pulled away after a time and with another nervous glance at his girlfriend, he led her in the back door where they were greeted by a guard who was stationed on the other side. Lafeia gripped Heero's arm tightly at the sight of him.

"Heero!" the guard said, jumping form his position in surprise. "Haven't seen you round here in a while!"

"Hn. I have been reassigned." Heero answered his ex co-worker, and then trying to get off the subject of his work, for he knew the other would further question him on his recent occupation man, he asked, "Where is Relena holding the party? Main ballroom I guess?"

"Yeah. Go on up." The guard answered and as the couple headed down the elegant corridor, he returned to his station.

Relena looked out of the window, of a guest room she had been rearranging for a couple she knew, to see Heero and a girl walking up to the back door.

Watching with squinting eyes, Relena watched as Heero smiled slightly at her. Next thing Relena knew was that she saw them kissing. In the beginning, it was an innocent, gentle kiss, but then it turned a passionate, hungry kiss.

Eyes wide, Relena jumped away from the window, as if it had caught fire. _Was I dreaming, or was that Heero kissing some girl?_ Wondered Relena questioning what her eyes had just seen. She glanced back out the window and found that no one was there. _Maybe my imagination is just working over-time. No more wine for me._

-8-

Heero escorted Lafeia to the entrance to the ballroom, he sighed deeply. _Let's hope this works out. _He opened the door motioned for Lafeia to walk in, once he too had walked into the room he charmingly took her arm, and glanced around the room.

As Lafeia walked into the room everyone stopped talking, the room became silent as all eyes turned towards the graceful form that had just walked through the door and the man on her arm. Lafeia blushed slightly, feeling the glares of wonderment upon her.

All in the room observed the beauty of the young girl and her stunning dress that seemed to slide like silk on her skin. The young man beside her was the object of more than a few wistful sighs and glances, his handsome figure walking slowly in his perfectly tailored suit.

"Who are they?" asked a young woman staring at the newly arrived couple.

"I don't know, but that girl sure is lucky, her dress is beautiful and her partner, oh my…" answered her friend.

"He's so gorgeous…"

"So is she, I wouldn't have minded accompanying her to this dance." Another man joined in the conversation.

"I wonder if she'll care to dance with me later…" added another man, stealing a glance at Lafeia and watching her hopefully.

"Err… guys? Since when has Heero and Lafeia been a couple?" Quatre asked eyeing the couple suspiciously.

"I haven't a clue Q-man!" Duo said shoving his guilt for lying to them, aside. Hilde tightened her grip on his hand until her knuckles turned white, showing him that she disapproved of his lying to them.

"Ouch!" Duo complained a little too loud as his comrades all turned to face him. "Sorry." He said as they all turned their attention back to Heero.

"Are they actually an item?" Quatre asked questioning his earlier comment. He frowned at the thought of Heero being emotionally involved with anyone. _Maybe they are just good friends, _he watched Heero as he looked down at her, and was astonished by the emotion that could be found in his eyes, _or maybe not… Heero's eyes could never lie. _He chuckled to himself.

"That's what it looks like." Answered Dorothy who was sitting to the right of him, her hand carefully intertwined with his underneath the table. As she gazed up at him, he took in her overwhelming beauty, he examined her thoroughly and noticed the way her platinum blonde hair fell past her shoulders neatly and the way her crystal blue eyes contained a well-known, mischievous, spark in them, which he had always loved. He smiled at her, and turned back to notice Heero and Lafeia had joined them at the table.

Trowa looked at his friends. _Come on, they should have picked up on the vibes between them a lot sooner than this, Quatre's supposed to be good at that. I knew this was coming; by the way, they looked at each other, their body language. However, they where very good at concealing their relationship from us, had I not known Heero for so long I would not have guessed anything was there._

Raven saw Trowa glaring at the couple and decided to examine them herself.

"Oh she's so pretty!" she stated enthusiastically, tucking her onyx black hair behind her ear to get a better look.

"Hn?" Trowa questioned her.

"The girl… she's really pretty."

"I agree." Sally said. She was sitting quietly beside Wufei and had not spoken to anyone until then, so when she did all heads turned to her and she blushed slightly, causing Wufei to glare angrily at the others.

The room filled with a light buzz again as Heero reached the table where his friends where located. He pulled out the chair for Lafeia to sit down and once she was seated, he pulled out a chair for himself and sat down beside her. Glancing around the table, he saw many puzzled faces directed his way.

"Hey man! What's up?" Duo welcomed his friend. Heero never answered his question, taking it as a mere greeting. They all sat awkwardly, no one daring to talk.

"So… you two… are a couple?" Quatre asked, breaking the silence.

"Hn." Heero nodded his head, feeling no need to speak. _It is not as if I really owe them an explanation._

"Ah right. It makes sense."

"What does?" Duo asked curiously.

"These two," Quatre gestured towards Heero and Lafeia, "being together, it makes sense. You two seem to fit together. I don't know how, but you do."

Heero seemed somewhat surprised at this and he glanced at Quatre, bewilderment apparent in his eyes but his face remaining devoid of emotion. Trowa nodded his head subtlety in agreement of Quatre.

"Where are Noin and Zechs?" Duo asked glancing around having noticed they where missing from the table.

"Sitting at that table with My sister, her guest, and some other people they must be well acquainted with." Trowa said signalling to a large table in the corner of the room.

"Ah right." Duo said as he spotted them chatting with their friends.

-8-

Relena walked into the room glancing around at her guests, a bright smile placed upon her face. She glanced over to the table where she had placed the gundam pilots and their guests and sighed gently as her eyes fell upon a certain member of the group with dark brown, unruly hair. _So he did come, _a thought occurred in her mind and she glanced to his side realising what she had hoped she wouldn't see. _Therefore, I was not imagining it! _She glowered at the young girl who sat gracefully beside Heero. Yes, she had seen the same girl earlier. Jealousy raged through her veins, as she watched the young girl lean closer to Heero and rested her head on his shoulder.

A warm hand settled on her own shoulder and she spun around angrily ready to shout her disapprovals at the person who had startled her. However, as soon as she saw them the anger she held evaporated.

"Adam…" She smiled up at the taller man; he smiled at her, his dark blonde hair shining beneath the artificial lighting of the room, his steel blue eyes gazing down at her from between his long bangs. "I'm so glad you turned up."

"How could I not, Miss Relena." He took a step back to examine her, "My, don't you look radiant this evening, Princess. How long has it been since I last saw you? Two years?"

"Indeed." Relena responded blushing at his compliments. "Adam Roster… two years and you only contact me two months ago?"

"Yes. Sorry Relena, I was caught up with work. How about you, you too never contacted me either!"

"Hmm yes. I guess we are both to blame then." She sighed and looked up at the young man, "This vice foreign minister thing is a lot more than I expected. You wouldn't think it, but it's awfully hard to maintain the peace."

"Well you certainly are doing an excellent job at it, Relena."

"Oh Adam… It's so great to see you again!" she pulled him tightly against her wrapping her arms around him and embracing him.

"Err, you too Relena." Adam said gruffly having been taken back. "Shouldn't you be making a speech soon?"

"Oh yes!" Relena pulled away from him smiling. "I'll show you to your seat." She led him to his table and leaving him there she walked up to the stage at the top of the hall, climbing the stairs she took hold of the microphone and switched the flick switch at the side, turning it on.

"Ahem…" she spoke into the speakers trying to gain the attention of the audience below her. She knew she had it, as they all turned to face her in their chairs.

"Hello, my friends. Firstly I want to thank each and every one of you for coming here tonight, I am so honoured to have you all here to celebrate this special night with me, also thank you for all the presents I have received, you are all too kind…" She told her guests the arrangements for the evening and informed them of the different types of entertainment she had planned for them. While talking she glanced down at the table where her brother and his wife sat, him, Noin and Sally all smiled up at her encouragingly. _It is strange how when I speak everyone seems to be hanging onto my every word. I remember Quatre telling me that after one of the conferences. _She glanced over to Quatre who also smiled back at her encouragingly. Dorothy sat beside him. Dorothy turned to glance at Quatre before she focused on Relena's speech; her eyes glittered amusedly whilst she spoke. _Quatre sure is keen on her. He is head over heels in love with her for heavens sake. _She smiled back at him and focused her attention on the man to the right of him. Trowa wasn't smiling, but he seemed to be happy in his own way, _his guest Raven, she was lovely, and he too is madly in love with her, although, I wonder if she knows it. With Trowa, it is so hard to read his emotions._ To the right of Raven was Wufei. Wufei had hooked up with Sally shortly after the mariemaia incident. They had decided after a few years that they both wanted to get married, and surprisingly enough, Wufei was the first pilot to propose. Relena smiled remembering how Wufei had stormed about the place, infuriated that he had been partnered with Sally. He had muttered, 'stupid women' all the time, and told everyone that would listen, that his life was going to be hell with this woman. _He's so happy now, the happiest I have ever seen him actually. I am so glad for him._ She glanced past Sally and her eyes rested on Duo, who was grinning up at her foolishly. Oh, how she loved that grin, anytime she was ever unhappy, that grin, you just could not help but laugh at it._ Duo and Hilde make the perfect couple; I wonder when Duo is going to propose to her. I know he is definitely going to; he is so frantically in love with her. _She looked to Hilde, _And Hilde, my best friend, she's so happy with him, even if she's too downright stubborn to admit it._ She smiled at her and looked to the next person …_ Heero…_

Thoughts and memories came flooding through her mind as she watched him, memories that hurt so much. She halted in her speech causing a few puzzled and curious looks to be thrown at her from concerned members of the audience. She shook the thoughts out of her head, pushing them to the back of her mind for the moment; she had dwelled on these thoughts repeatedly but now was not the time to let them escape, _maybe later…_

Continuing her speech Relena thought it best to avoid looking in Heero's general direction.

He caught her gaze, she stared at him intensely, longingly, and he could see the suffering in her eyes and suddenly wished he had decided not to come to her party, not with Lafeia anyway. _That is such a cowardly way to handle things, which would just be proving Sylvia Noventa's point, that I am a coward, always seeking the easiest way out._

She had paused in her speech, a wave of sadness spread across her face, and he knew it was his fault, and again like when he had escaped from her bedroom, from her, he felt that pang of guilt hit his stomach. He sighed deeply watching her and feeling very concerned. Sitting on the edge of his seat, he knew he would be prepared to rush up onto the stage and catch her if she were to faint. Her face had gone pale and she wavered slightly holding onto the microphone stand for support, but to his relief she sustained her speech, removing her glare from him and avoiding eye contact with him for the rest of the time.

As she finished her speech there was applause from the audience and she stepped down from the stage, heading over to the pilots table, _I may as well meet the girl, and maybe I can withhold my anger towards her if we get along._

"Hello Heero. Glad you could join us tonight." Relena said politely holding back any bitterness and nodded her head towards him. She then focused on the girl next to him, her eyes growing a little colder.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met before." She told Lafeia.

"No we haven't. I'm Lafeia Gartner. It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Relena. This really is a beautiful old building." Relena smiled coldly towards her, unable to respond to her remarks. _She seems so simple. How could Heero pick such a girl? There is no way that she is good enough for him. _The hatred must have been evident in her eyes as a few of the people at the table shuffled uncomfortably, feeling the tension drawn between the two girls and Heero suddenly growled obviously aggravated at her wrath. Relena jumped slightly, turning her attention back to the Heero who was now glaring at her. Relena raised her glass in the air and the crowds became silent.

"My friends, I think it is time for us to dance." She walked off, still feeling Heero's cold penetrating stare upon her back. _Maybe I overreacted, slightly._

One by one, the guests slowly rose off their seats and walked with their partners to the dance floor. Quatre and Dorothy where the first up out of their table, when Relena had motioned for them to dance Dorothy jumped up out of her chair enthusiastically, grabbing Quatre's hand and leading him onto the dance floor. Surprisingly Trowa was up next, pulling Raven slowly out of her chair, she smiled at him gently and leant closer whispering something in his ear, a trace of a smile could be found on Trowa's lips as he walked to the dance floor with Raven. Sally and Hilde both got up at the same time winking to each other. The two had become close over their short period together. They both grabbed their partners leading them to the dance floor, Hilde without a bother, as Duo was delighted to be out on the floor showing off his moves, but it was not as easy for Sally, as she had to drag the ever so reluctant Wufei onto the dance floor.

"No you crazy woman, I don't do dancing." Wufei complained.

"Well now that you're with, me you'll have to…," argued Sally placing his hands around her waist and kissing him briefly on the lips to get rid of his scowl. It worked; Wufei no longer frowned but danced gracefully across the dance floor, gazing into Sally's beautiful blue eyes. The couple looked remarkably attractive as they glided across the dance floor, Sally's long, light brown hair flowing gently in the opposite direction to the way they moved and her expensive diamond engagement ring sparkling glamorously for all to see.

_**So she said what's the problem, baby**_

_**What's the problem; I don't know well maybe I'm in love (love)**_

_**Think about it every time I think about it, can't stop thinking about it**_

_**How much longer will it take to cure this?**_

_**Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)**_

_**Make's me want to turn around and face me, but I don't know nothing about love**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**Turn a little faster**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**The world will follow after**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**Because everybody's after love**_

_**So I said I'm a snowball running **_

_**Running down into the spring that's coming all this love **_

_**Melting under blue skies **_

_**Belting out sunlight **_

_**Shimmering love **_

_**Well baby I surrender **_

_**To the strawberry ice cream**_

**_Never ever, end of all this love_**

_**Well I didn't mean to do it **_

_**But there's no escaping your love**_

_**These lines of lightning **_

_**Mean we're never alone, **_

_**Never alone, no, no **_

As Heero watched his friends dance, he saw Lafeia turn to look at him through the peripherals of his eyes. He turned towards her as she looked up at him hopefully and optimistically. He rolled his eyes, sighing deeply, but smiled at her as he got up of his chair and drawing Lafeia out of hers guided her onto the dance floor.

His hands hooked around her waist as hers fastened around his neck, his eyes met hers as they started to move in time to the rhythm of the music, and her gaze pierced his impregnable shell as his heart started beating rapidly in his chest. He was starting to get used to these symptoms, the symptoms of being in love that is, and was starting to enjoy the strangeness of them as warmth immediately flowed through his body and his heart seemed to melt and form one with hers. He knew she was experiencing the same effects, as it was obvious in the teal depths of her eyes… She too was in love.

As they glided across the floor, invisible strings bound his heart to her movements and locked her tight in his memory.

_**Come on, come on,**_

_**Move a little closer**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**I want to hear you whisper**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**Settle down inside my love**_

_**Come on come on**_

_**Jump a little higher**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**If you feel a little lighter**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**We were once upon a time in love**_

_**We're accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally in love**_

_**Accidentally… **_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**Accidentally… **_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love**_

_**Accidentally…**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**Spin a little tighter**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**And the world's a little brighter**_

_**Come on, come on**_

_**Just get yourself inside her **_

_**Love… I'm in love**_

As the song ended, a new one started just as quickly and everyone continued dancing.

Relena acted as a spectator and watched the events from her seat at her table. She watched as Heero led his girlfriend onto the dance floor, having danced with him a few times before Relena knew what it was like to be moving to the steady rhythm of the music in Heero's arms and she could relate to the emotions exposed on the girls face as he led her threw each dance. She sighed sorrowfully, wishing she could be in Heero's arms, dancing with him, just one more time. She propped her chin upon her hand and leant on the table surveying her blissful guests, everyone was happy, _except for you, _a voice in the back of her mind called to her.

She watched Heero move, his eyes locked onto the girl's, and for once she saw the stoic mask on his face disappear to be replaced with the mask of a young man in love, he smiled gently as they moved simultaneously, becoming one in their dance, the way they moved together. Heero's eyes glistened passionately resembling the passion that sparkled in the girl's, he was in love with the girl, and there was nothing she could do about it, nothing at all could she do to demolish the fire that blazed for the girl in his heart and eyes.

"Relena…" A voice called her out of her musings and she turned around to face Adam who was smiling down at her, his hand gestured towards hers. She accepted his offer, taking his hand in hers and being lead onto the dance floor.

The lead singer of the band announced to the audience that they were going to take a five-minute break to freshen up and walked off the stage, closely followed by the other members of the band and mingled with the other guests. Other music was put on whilst the band was off, but most guests left the floor and patiently waited for the band to continue from their seats.

Lafeia leant closer to Heero; he could feel her breath tickling his neck as she stepped onto tiptoes to whisper into his ear, "I need a break." He nodded and led her over to their table.

"Where are the restrooms?" Lafeia asked Hilde politely. Hilde gave her directions, telling her which corridors to follow.

"And then to your left should be a door with a toiletry sign placed on it." Hilde told her.

"Thank you." Lafeia said courteously, giving Heero a quick peck on the cheek before she headed to exit the room.

-8-

He watched her dance with admiration, _she's a good dancer, _he thought as she walked back to her seat with a young man once the band had stopped. His eyes followed her to the door as he danced with Relena still in his arms. _This is my chance…_

"Excuse me Relena, thank you very much for dancing with me, but I must leave you now, your party has been the highlight of my week and I am truly sorry to have to leave it, but regretfully I must be somewhere else." He told her.

"But of course, Adam. Thank you very much for coming." Relena leant forward kissing him lightly on the lips and walked back to her table without glancing back at him. Adam was unaffected by the kiss, _if only it had come from someone else_, he watched the door longingly, before striding swiftly towards it.

Following Hilde's directions, Lafeia walked along the long, eerily quiet corridors, feeling a shiver run through her body she glanced warily around her. She had a strange feeling that she was being watched and her conscience was telling her that something dangerous was about to take place within the walls of this building. Sensing the tension in the atmosphere she whirled around glancing behind her, trying to locate the presence she could feel. _What is up with this hall, it is so creepy. So quiet, yet not silent. Something is not right. _She continued walking down the hall in order to find the restrooms still feeling the mysterious presence around her.

Hearing a light click come from behind her she halted in pure terror, _was that the sound of someone cocking a gun? _

He followed her down the corridor quietly, ducking behind every large object to hide him from her eyes, _no use being caught now…_ She spun around quickly, _dammit!_ He thought diving behind a large statue of a bird, or at least he thought it was a bird. Her eyes darted around wildly. _She is onto me; I've got to do this soon._ He trailed her shadows further along the hall until he got nearer to the specific point where he had planned for everything to happen. _Now!_ He thought removing his gun from the back of his pants, he cocked the gun hastily and watched as she froze suddenly, her body becoming rigid as she swung around to confront him. Her pupils contracted as she took him in, her eyes widening with horror. For moments, she just stared at him, incapable of moving as the shock spread all the way through her body.

"Adam…" she choked, her voice breaking.

Lafeia glared at the boy she had once known so well, it had been seven years since she had seen him and here he was greeting her by pointing a gun towards her.

"So you do remember me." He laughed dangerously, his handsome steel eyes cold and hard as he glared at her callously. "I really thought you wouldn't, after all, it has been what… seven years since you ran out on me. You ran out of my life completely, not even sparing me a proper goodbye, I felt so betrayed by my best friend. You left me to deal with all that mess you made, you left _me_ to deal with the consequences." He laughed again cruelly, not caring to hold back the bitterness in his voice. His eyes blazing with anger, and something else, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. "So how's it feel Lafeia? How does it feel to be betrayed by someone you thought was a friend, an ally?"

"I, I don't understand what you're saying Adam." She stuttered glaring up at him in confusion.

"Liar!" he shouted, striking out at her with his fist. A burning pain shot across her mouth and her head jerked violently to one side. She staggered backwards hitting her head against the wall with all the force he had thrown at her. She gasped and clasped her hand over her face looking up at her old friend in disbelief. "Don't try to deny this Lafeia. You know only too well what I'm talking about."

"No Adam I don't." she said raising her voice trying to convince him. Once again, she felt the sharp pain across her face and the coppery taste of blood form in her mouth. She felt her body give way to the pain and slide down with her back to the wall, onto the ground. She looked at him hurt and perplexed from his irrational behaviour. _This is not the Adam I know._

"I told you not to lie!" His voice was softer but still contained anger and bitter hatred, his eyes still blazing with wrath and the unknown emotion and if possible, they seemed to darken even more than they already were. She gazed into his eyes, which seemed to capture her in a way she could not have imagined, they contained so much darkness that it lured her in, she studied them closely and then gasped upon the realisation of the unknown… Love?_ No it couldn't be. Who would ever treat somebody they loved this way?_

She saw the tears swell up in his eyes but he shook his head violently and they where gone, the love evident in his eyes, the tears, the wrath, anger, hatred, everything was gone. His face was emotionless, blank. He knelt down in front of her and she flinched nervously away from him as he touched her face softly.

"I'm sorry…," he said to her as he grabbed her constraining her movements. She retaliated frantically against him but the grip that held her was strong, and she couldn't move in this damned fitted dress of hers, nothing at all seemed to give, her body shrieked at her to continue to struggle, while her mind spoke more sensibly fighting would only drain her strength something she would definitely need for later. Suddenly she felt a wet cloth smother her breaths as she unwillingly breathed in the chloroform, she started struggling against him again, fighting to remove her face from the toxic substance, but she couldn't pull out of his vice-like grip and she was forced to draw in another raspy breath of the sickly scent of the chloroform. Her head started to spin as she struggled; fighting the drug with all her will power but eventually, she gave up the losing battle and slipped into darkness.

She was still in semi-consciousness as he carried her out one of the fire-escape doors and out into the Peacecraft grounds.

"Is she out?" she heard the voices, not clearly enough to identify their voices but enough so that she could make out what they where saying.

"Not completely, the chloroform only puts her in a semi-conscious state of mind."

"Okay good job Roster. Hartley finish the job please." Lafeia suddenly felt a stiff object hit the side of her, between the ribs. Her body screamed with the intensity of the pain as she crippled up, the pain doubling inside of her and causing her body to move into a small ball.

_Heero… _her mind screamed before the darkness drew completely into her mind swallowing her up into a dark void and releasing the pain that had such a firm grasp on her small body.

-8-

Heero suddenly sat upright at his table.

"Lafeia…" he whispered as he searched the area around him for her presence. _Had she just called for him?_ He glanced back down at his watch for the hundredth time since she left the room. _Where is she? What is taking her so long?_

"Why's she taking so long?" Trowa asked him as if reading his mind; at times Heero felt his friend contained the psychic ability to do so.

"I don't know." Heero said honestly, his voice a little shaky and his tone containing anxiety he had hoped to withhold.

"I'll go to the bathrooms and see if she's okay." Dorothy told them then glancing down at Raven she asked, "Are you coming?"

Raven glanced at Trowa who nodded to her telling her to go, "Sure." She got up and walking alongside her friend and they left the room.

"How long has she been gone for?" asked Quatre, looking up at the band who had continued their performance a few minutes ago.

"Twenty two minutes." Heero replied glancing down at his watch. "Twenty-three now."

"How bout ya just keep your eyes glued to your watch?" joked Duo, "It'll save you the hassle of looking up." Heero glared daggers at him, silencing the braided man. _Just trying to lighten the air around here, and look what I get, death looks from death himself. Hold on no! I am death, Heero's just I don't know, a zombie. Yeah as far as I know, zombies don't have emotions either. _Duo thought as he glared back at Heero.

-8-

Raven and Dorothy walked back into the room unaccompanied, at this Heero's heart began to race rapidly.

"She's not there, are you sure you gave her the right directions." Raven asked Hilde.

"I'm positive." Hilde replied glancing nervously up to Heero who had already begun to rise out of his seat. "Heero…" she called after the Japanese man as he sprinted from the room.

"What's going on?" Relena asked as she approached their table.

"Lafeia…" Duo hesitated, gulping at the glares that where being directed at him from his friends, "…The girl Heero was with, well she's gone missing."

"Oh." Relena said a small frown falling upon her face as an awkward silence hung like a mist in the air.

* * *

_'True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does.' -Anonymous_

Do you see that little box down there with the 'submit review' text in it? Yeah? Great, now do you see the little 'go' button beside that? Yeah? Great, now press that and REVIEW PEOPLE! ahem Sorry, just please review, i need your reviews, ithrive of them lol.

I think i made Dorothy a little out of character, she's not her usual cheeky self lol, i'll fix that soon, don't worry.

Anyways... review and i'll love you forever!

Allura


	4. The One You Love Part I

Disclaimer: I own Gundam Wing... hehe... Ouch. (glares at Heero) What was that for? The truth? But that _is_ the truth. Ouch. FINE! Hmph... I do NOT own Gundam Wing. Happy now!

A/N - Yes i cut down the chapter... Actually, i cut the chapter in half. Smart eh? Now it's not so long, but the downside is -you will have to wait for a short while to get the next half...sorry, but i did it for _your_ sakes, honestly! You could review while waiting for the next half, you know, it might make me get it up faster hehe. Oh and thanks to armygundamgirl for going through this chapter with me and correcting any mistakes!

Chibi Horsewoman - Yes i know... chapter three was a long chapter, i am truly sorry though. Thanks for reviewing!

burgandy3721 - Thanks for the review. You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that i'm _not _boring you guys to death!

Ariel - Thank you so much for the review. grins madly Don't worry, i love longer reviews anyways. Next time make it uber-long! heh

Anywho... enough of my blabbering and onto the (rather short) chapter!...

**Chapter four: The One You Love (Part 1)**

Heero sprinted out into the bitter cold hallway, glancing up and down in each direction wondering which way to search first. His mind was screaming that there was danger lurking in all the corners of this hallway but he ignored them, listening to his heart, which was telling him that he first must find Lafeia.

"Heero wait!" Quatre pulled the Japanese man back to his senses, "If something is wrong, you could make the situation worse by just rushing into it. We first need to do some quick research."

"He's right Heero." Hilde told him, Duo now glued to her side. "You know it's possible that she got lost in these corridors, this house is way bigger than anyone would have thought, looking at it from the outside."

"Hn." Heero replied, running his options through his head at faster than light speeds.

"Heero…" This time it was Relena who pulled him from his thoughts. He turned his head to look at her suspiciously.

"What's that look for?" Relena glared at him. "Look, just hear me out. Hilde could be right, I've lived in this house for a long time, and I've lost count of the number of times that I've got lost. I still turn down wrong halls sometimes. Ending up somewhere I'm not meant to be."

"Dude, relax." Duo looked up at Heero. _Hah, Heero relaxing, that'll be the day! _"Well maybe not _relax_, just calm down a little." He corrected himself after receiving another death look form Heero, "Lena!" he turned focusing his attention on the young honey-blonde haired girl; she gazed up at him, her cerulean blue eyes full of anxiety. "You have cameras wired up all around this place, right?"

"Yes, there is." Heero answered for her. Having worked in the mansion, he knew the precise location of every single one of her surveillance cameras. His eyes lit up as he glanced at Duo, acknowledging his thoughts.

"The surveillance room." All of the gundam pilots muttered it at the same time, they looked at each other in surprise, (Quatre chuckling slightly) and then, spotting a figure dashing around the far corner, he realised that they where missing a member.

"Hey Heero, wait up!" Duo yelled, also noticing that his friend had slipped silently around the corner.

Shoving open the door to the surveillance room and shoving a security guard out of his way, Heero settled himself down at the main computer, his fingers dashing smoothly over the keyboard as his eyes remained fixed on the screens above him, searching the view taken by the cameras for an indication to where Lafeia may have disappeared.

Tapping on the keyboards, hitting the right keys, he was so focused on his task, he hardly heard the door of the surveillance room open and close, it barely registering somewhere in the back of his mind.

Duo walked to his side, stopping there and examining the monitor. He turned around to cast a confused glance towards Hilde and the others, who had all followed him.

"There…" Heero whispered in a barely audible voice.

"Huh?" Duo jumped and turned around to study the monitor once again. He saw nothing but empty corridors, transmitted each in a small box on the monitor's display. "What did you see, buddy?"

"It's a loop. Set in the system to distract us from their mission." Heero answered.

"What you mean 'their' mission' who are they? And a loop? Are you sure?"

"Positive. Look there on the screen. Watch closely." After about 15 seconds, a small indistinct line appeared on the screen, it appeared for half a second then disappeared just as quickly. Nevertheless, Duo saw it as well and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"That line. It indicates the end of the loop." Heero sighed deeply, obviously distressed by the situation. "And I do not know who 'they' are. Only a highly technically trained person could transfer a loop into _our_ system. The computer system could definitely not have transmitted the loop into its system by itself. The loop has to have been put in by someone, and they've done it from this control room." Relena gasped suddenly and Heero turned around to her, not realising that she had been there.

"You mean… The person behind this could very well be in this building right now… They could easily have been one of my guests?" Her face had gone paler as she spoke.

"It's possible. It had to have been done from _this_ control room, there' no other way. And with the protection and security you have hired in this place, I doubt they could have gotten inside the grounds or even the house uninvited."

"It's not possible. Everyone here tonight, they are… trustworthy friends."

"Relena you must learn not to trust everyone who _appears_ to be a good person. Relena you must think. The person who did this and kidnapped… Lafeia must have left the room around the same time as her. Did you see anyone leave the hall?"

"Well…" Relena mused as she tried to remember. "Now that I think about it, Adam left straight after Lafeia… Moreover, he had his eye on her all night, watching her closely, but subtlety; I thought it was just, you know, another 'guy' thing. All the guys were staring at her." Relena grew even paler as the realisation dawned on her. "It must have been Adam, no one else left after him." She looked at her friends around her. "But he's such a nice guy. I just can't believe it was him-"

Heero jumped suddenly to his feet, disrupting Relena and her train of thoughts. He laid his hands down on the computer desk, leaning forward to examine the monitor attentively. He had seen an error in the video loop, _there is an error in the loop! _He had seen something very small had flashed at the bottom of the screen, something that had flashed on so fast that to the normal human eye it would not have appeared at all, but to Heero's specially trained eye it was all but obscure.

"What is it Heero?" Hilde asked concernedly.

"There's a virus of some sort. It must be the computer's way of fighting the loop's software." He pressed a few keys on the keyboard and rewound the video, stopping it then playing it. He paused it once again at a specific point where a blurred figure standing at the bottom of the screen appeared, holding the unconscious form of a small girl. Everyone but Trowa and Wufei gasped. _Lafeia… _Heero's heart cried out at the sight of her. She was a mess; her hair was strewn untidily across her face, her legs and arms, dangling limply from the man's grasp on them, were showing the many signs of the physical abuse they had suffered. Her face was well hidden by her hair, but Heero knew that if he was to see it there would be many signs of pain shown on it. He felt a sudden anger rising up his body and coursing steadily through his veins, the feelings of hatred he was experiencing where beyond all the feelings he had ever felt.

"It's…Adam…" Relena said, the shock chocking her voice to a raspy croak.

"That's Adam all right." Duo muttered, staring at the unfocused man frozen on the screen. It was not a question; it was more of a statement. "She looks bad." He muttered again, but it was clear enough for everyone around him to here it, as they steadily examined the small girl on the monitor. Duo instantly felt bad for doubting Heero's assumptions that she was kidnapped. He gazed at her, not really seeing her, as he was so lost in his thoughts. He felt like he would do anything to able to protect her right now.

"Wait. What's that?" Trowa pointed to the screen, to a small mark, that was tattooed on the back of Adam's neck. Heero sought out what Trowa was pointing at and zoomed in. The small mark was a triangle with a small spiral placed inside it.

"It's some sort of brand or mark." Heero answered him, glaring at the mysterious mark. "It looks vaguely familiar." He zoomed closer trying to examine the mark to get a clear idea of its significance. "Relena." He turned his glare towards the young woman who stood directly behind him her hand covering her mouth from the surprise. "Where is Adam staying? Do you have any information? I need something, anything to track him down." He looked at her, a slight glint of desperation evident in his cold Prussian blue eyes.

She sighed and met his gaze; she had never seen any hint of desperation in his eyes before. He really had fallen for this girl, big time.

"I can't… I don't recall him telling me anything about where he was staying but I have a hunch he may be leaving the earth tonight. I know that he is currently situated on colony L3, but where exactly, I have no idea sorry. His name is Adam Roster." Why was she telling him this? She didn't want him to get the girl back, not that she hated her, it's just that without her it seemed that everything would fall neatly into place, the way she wanted it to. However, Adam had betrayed her trust. He had done something horribly wrong this time and she could not simply forgive him this time as she had before. A girl's life was in danger. Maybe she did feel envious towards this girl, but for now, she would have to push her personal feelings aside and do her job properly. And as Vice Foreign Minister, that meant playing a role in this havoc and helping out Heero and the other pilots as much as possible.

He looked at her, nodding his head gently as a sign of gratitude. _Colony L3? Isn't that where Lafeia grew up? Maybe… Just maybe they have connections. __This is a start, a good start, I have a lead, a good lead. I just hope this lead doesn't lead me to a dead end._

"L3. Well I guess it's a start. Duo will you come with me to colony L3?" Heero asked, turning towards his friend. Hilde glanced nervously at Duo, pleading with him silently not to go and Duo smiled at her apologetically and then turned back to Heero.

"Sure thing, buddy." He smiled at Heero reassuringly. _Please let her be safe, not just for her sake, but for Heero's sake too._ "Hey Quatre, didn't you grow up on that colony?" Quatre looked at Duo sadly.

"Yes I did. But I can't go with you, I'm very sorry, but I have to meet the president of the L4 colony for a press conference." Heero watched his Arabian friend closely. He truly _was_ sorry. Anyway, he and Duo would be fine on their own.

"It's okay Quatre." Heero told him.Heero and Duo both left the room to prepare for their trip to the colonies and Relena called the nearest spaceport to arrange for a shuttle to leave for them tomorrow morning. She had declared to herself that she would help as much as she could, and she was prepared to stick to that promise.

-8-

"I cannot _believe_ this. I _knew _that this would happen." Heero was walking at a rapid pace towards the room he and Lafeia where to have occupied in the Peacecraft Mansion,"I told myself that something bad would come of my becoming too attached to her, but I couldn't actually imagine it happening as it is now. This is entirely my fault. If I could have just had some self-control when it came to her, none of this would be happening."

Images of his times spent with Lafeia poured through his mind, "_but then none of this would have happened."_

"Arrgh!" he yelled clasping his hands tightly to his skull, to try to sort out his mind. "_I need to get a grip here, I need to have a firm grip on this situation and what I am about to do." _He glanced towards his laptop, which was sitting neatly on the old mahogany bureau. He was in the same room he had occupied two years ago when acting as Relena's head bodyguard. He scanned the room briefly his eyes skimming across every object and placing it firmly in his memory. Nothing had changed since he had left the room. He walked into the bathroom and opened up the mirror cupboard to find that all his belongings where still there.

"_Obviously, she felt that I would one day come back to her." _He had left that day, so abruptly that he had not packed any of his belongings with him; the only thing he had really missed the night he had escaped from her was his laptop, which he'd had Duo deliver to him the next morning anyway. "_That is Relena and her idealistic ways." _He sighed as he sat down at the desk, flipping open his laptop and starting the system.

"_I need to have a clear mind if I want the research; I am going to use tonight to be useful. Good thing I wasn't planning to get any sleep, I wouldn't be able to now anyway. Not when she's not safe with me where she should be_." He tapped a password into his keyboard, granting him access to all his documents and past research, but for the minute, they where totally useless to him, he needed new information, not just any information, but specific information on a certain Adam Roster.

"_Let's see what I can find out about you Adam."_

-8-

"You can't seriously be planning on following Heero on his wild chase across the colony can you?" Hilde demanded answer to her question from Duo, as she followed him around the room that Relena has assigned them. She was storming around the room unpacking everything Duo packed into his case.

"Hilde, babe… Listen I gotta go," He was running around the room after Hilde trying to repack his suitcase for tomorrow's mission. "I can't let him go on his own, not in the condition he's in. What he's experiencing, it must be traumatizing. I mean… Hilde, if I... If you where to go missing, I dunno what I'd do, I'd probably drive myself insane searching for you, and even then I wouldn't give up." Duo looked at her, his eyes showing great sympathy towards Heero. The fury in Hilde's eyes extinguished with his words, she now stood willing to listen to him and willing him silently to continue. "You see, that's why I must go with him. To sort of look after him, who knows what he'll do on his own. I know he's the perfect soldier, but even the perfect soldier can have his downfall." Hilde threw her arms around him.

"Oh Duo, you're so sweet. What you said… was really amazing, I didn't know you felt so strongly about me." She told him, her arms still hooked around his neck. He was surprised by her sudden actions.

"Course I do babe. I love you. I really do." He in turn wrapped his arms around her back and they stood there for a while silently, both comfortable enough with each other and the silence.

"I love you too, Duo." She whispered gently in his ear, as If saying it too loud would make the comment untrue.

"Hold on!" Duo pushed her gently away from him, a laughing twinkle in his eye. "You can't call the Shinigami 'sweet'! This is the God of Death you're talking to!" Hilde laughed at him leaning towards him and kissing him passionately. Duo was still kind of miffed at his pride of being the Shinigami having been shattered, but he gave in to her as she kissed him deeply, enticed by the sweet scent of her. _Damn, did I just use the word 'sweet'? What is wrong with me?_

Hilde pulled away from him and looked at him thoughtfully without saying anything though because they were both at a loss for breath.

"Go Duo." She said after regaining her breath.

"Huh? What was that?" He asked confusedly.

"Go, with Heero. I understand that you must go but Duo… Please be careful. And make sure to keep a close eye on Heero." She started to walk once again around the room lifting Duo's things, but this time she too was packing them into the suitcase.

"Sure thing, babe." Duo said as he threw his spare preventers jacket into the case and helped Hilde pack his bag. _Oh, man! These next few weeks are gonna be tough, but they're nothing the God of Death can't handle. After all, I did manage to survive through the war. This should not be too bad, I just hope the group we're going to be up against isn't thinking of disrupting the peace, or else Relena's also going to be having a hard time._

-8-

"Trowa can you please explain to me what is happening? Please, I want to know." Raven begged. She and Trowa were back in his room. After Heero had resigned from being Relena's bodyguard, Trowa had taken his place. Earning him his own room beside Relena's in the mansion. Raven watched Trowa carefully, waiting for an answer. Trowa was already scanning through files he had found in Relena's offices.

"Nothing much has happened since the incident in the hall. All that happened is that we now know who kidnapped Lafeia. Although we do not know why they have kidnapped her and what benefits they are seeking from doing so." Trowa answered her calmly, his eyes not once leaving the files in front of him.

"This is awful. Why would anyone want to do that? How is Heero coping with this?"

"Hn. He seems a bit shook up, which is strange when describing Heero. Usually he displays himself as a calm, yet serious person. It's obviously affecting him greatly, but he's doing a great job at concealing it. If I hadn't known Heero, I would have thought he didn't actually care. Nevertheless, I can now tell when Heero is uneasy or troubled. Which I might add is very rare." Raven came to sit beside him on the bed. His eyes danced up from the files to meet hers. Her eyes where displaying great concern, but who for, he could not tell.

"How are you, Trowa? That mask that you're always wearing troubles me. Because I want to know what you're feeling underneath it, what kind emotions you are experiencing and how they're affecting you. Sometimes it's hard dealing with you when I don't understand what's going on in your head." She let her hand rest on his back. "It's not good for you to keep your emotions so bottled up inside of you. Let your heart speak its true feelings. It helps to listen to it sometimes."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." He answered, his gaze once again returning to the files, pretending to be bored with the conversation. He didn't want her to see his eyes; he knew all too well that his eyes were his weakness. He knew nearly anyone could read him through his eyes, but fortunately, for him his eyes were not enough for most people to understand him, however, he liked to avoid the gaze of people seeking answers in him anyway.

"I don't think so." She leant in and kissed him softly on his lips but pulled away soon after, leaving his lips stinging and longing for more. She read his eyes and knew the kiss had had the desired effect, but she got up anyway. She knew it was cruel what she was doing; enticing him, leaving him with a taste for more, but it was for his own good. As she was leaving the room, she turned around to him and smiled. "Maybe you should open up a little more, remove the mask for a short period of time. You must be tired of wearing it, even if what lies beneath it is only for me to see." Then she walked out through the single door that bound her room to his, leaving him to think about what she had just said.

Anyway, she too had a lot to think about, and even though her body also ached for him, his lips on hers, for more of the happiness that she received from kissing him. Even though her body screamed at her to stay in his room just for tonight, to feel his securing presence wrapped around her, she slowly got into her own bed and fell asleep, full of her own lonely thoughts.

Trowa threw the files aside on the table an hour after she left. He had read them through so many times he had nearly memorised them. He was looking for indications pointing to what group they may be on the trail of, the files he had been scanning through was information on all the rebel groups they had ever dealt with, but he had found nothing, and re-reading them wasn't going to make them suddenly appear on the page in front of him.

He let his mind slip back to Raven, to what she had said. He was aware of the little game she had started before she left his room, that she would have the right effect on him. He now wanted to open up to her completely, to spill everything he had ever felt for her to tell her just how long he has loved her and wanted her so badly. _But how could she have known? Am I that predictable, am I that readable to her, that easy to decipher? How is it possible, when she herself said that she couldn't understand me. But she's right, I do need to open up to her more, by closing myself off from her I'm just driving her away._ He sighed heavily and got up of the bed slowly reaching towards the handle of the door that led to her room. _Do I really want to do this?_ He hesitated for a moment, pondering on his thoughts._ Yes I do. _He opened the door and walked over to the four-poster king-size bed by the large Victorian window. The moon shone through the window making the room seem grey and misty yet giving everything an appealing glow. Nothing shone out to him brighter than Raven's delicate form, twisted beneath the white sheets on the bed, he stood beside the bed watching her, his body blocking the moonlight and casting a long shadow over her face and across the room. He smiled down at her sleeping so peacefully and was about to turn to walk out of the room when her hand shot out from beneath the sheets and grabbed his gently. A small smile traced his lips in the shadows as she opened her eyes sleepily.

"Trowa?" she asked her voice sounding a little dry.

"Yeah it's me." He answered

"Don't leave." She pleaded.

"Huh?" She pulled on his hand. Dragging him closer to her as she shuffled across the bed, getting her point Trowa willingly stooped down and climbed into her bed as she drew the sheets across the both of him. She still pulled him forward, leaving his face only inches from hers as she smiled at him gracefully her eyes closing again, needing to sleep.

"Thank you." She kissed him, this time longer than before and drew him in tight to her body. He was glad for the heat that emerged from her body, for it was cold in his room, as he refused to turn the heater on, and sat in the cold of the winter in an unheated room, studying the paperwork.

As she pulled away from him, he no longer felt the desire for more; he was content with what he had earned, for now, as she snuggled up closely to her. As she fell into a deep sleep, Trowa watched her, entranced by her beauty; he leant over and whispered into her ear softly.

"I love you…" And he laid his head down on the pillow next to her, allowing his sleep to catch up to him and take him into its peaceful state of mind.

-8-

Quatre was walking across the room back and forth, both hands clutching the sides of his face. Dorothy watched him her eyes darting back and forth following his movements.

"Quatre calm down please!" _He is getting so worked up over this, and it isn't even his fault, yet he keeps blaming himself._ "You've dealt with worse scenarios than this. You're making this out to be much worse than it is. At least at the minute, it is no threat to the peace or Relena. Your current behaviour is unacceptable. I demand that you calm down." Quatre stopped pacing the room and glanced over to her.

"But it _is_ terrible Dorothy, the state she was in, she's really messed up. As president of the colonies, I should have been able to do something about it, anything. Relena says these rebels are from my colony! What kind of president am I? Not being able to keep control of my colony, it's my fault they are now starting to rebel against us…"

"Quatre!" she shouted to him, jumping up and grabbing him the shoulders. "What are you talking about? You're doing all you are capable of doing when it comes to the peace and the colonies, stop blaming yourself for things that are most definitely not your fault. You blame yourself for everything that goes wrong and Duo agrees. I was talking with him earlier."

"Quatre you have to chill out and stop taking the responsibility of everything onto your shoulders. If you keep blaming yourself for everything, you're going to stress yourself out way too much." Quatre glared at her, running through his mind, everything she had just said. He sat down on the bed, and laid himself down, his legs still dangling above the ground. Dorothy sat down next to him, her eyes never straying from his; she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Everything will work out. Heero is going to do everything he can to get her back; you can see the pure determination in his eyes. However, right now Quatre, all you can do is get some rest. You're going to need it for tomorrow, as I see it, its going to be a big day for all of us." She kissed him lightly on the head, and crept out of the room, and into her own.

-8-

"And you guys are positive she isn't on the grounds anymore?" Sally glared at her fiancée as he stood by the wall leaning against it casually.

"Yes we're sure. We have guards searching every square metre of the grounds at this precise second." Wufei glared back at her.

"Well. I don't understand how the guy could have transported her out of the grounds without anyone noticing, Relena has more than a dozen guards positioned at all the gates leading into the grounds!"

"Yes I know she has. We don't understand how they got out without being noticed either, we think there may be a mole placed within her guards. That girl just lets anyone into her security." _You would think that the Vice Foreign Minister and the King of the ESUN would have higher security around their home._

"But she's the Vice Foreign Minister. Is it possible she could have hired someone so untrustworthy?"

"That's exactly what I want to know." He walked over to her pulling her close into a tight embrace, she was startled by his sudden affection but let him pull her in anyway, enjoying the closeness of them.

_Hmm sometimes I hate the thought of being attached to you for the rest of my life, your so stubborn, but most of the time, I love it._ She stared into his dark brown eyes before pulling away from him.

"I think we both need to get some rest. The dancing we did tonight has totally tired me out." Wufei told her, as he got ready for bed. Sally laughed at him childishly.

"Oh, Wufei."

_

* * *

'To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.' -- Bertrand Russell_

Please please please please... preeettyy pretty please review, with a cherry on top... hehe

Part two should be out very soon,very verysoon, but review anyways, it makes my day! And my days haven't been all that great lately, with exams and stuff. Pfft... stupid exams.

Love ya'll

Allura


	5. The One You Love Part II

Disclaimer: Own gundam wing? Hah i wish! (which is a 'no i don't own Gundam Wing' for any of those who really _don't_ get me)

A/N - Tadaa the second half! Told ya it'd be up very soon... hehe. I'm just out of an eng lit. exam and my hand is DEAD! No joke, dead.I am currently typing with one hand, because the other refuses to work any more today! Mean examiners.

burgandy3721 - yes there is a length, lets say... very very long hehe. But it's okay, i'm still happy! You still made my day. And uhh... No angry mob... pleeeeassse, i didn't forget! Thanks for the review!

Ariel - As much as i am awfully flattered by your comments, no really, i am, i love you to bits lol. Well i have to say one thing: Have you read anyone elses work? because really, mine does not compare up to the standard of most. Well i don't think so, but alas, your comments make me very bubbly, so continue please, even if they are just lies hehe. Thanks for the review.

Charliechaz - You are late! lol oj, Yes i will keep er' comin lol. And thanks, i'll need all the luck ican get considering how much time i spend on this (so much for _study _leave) And cheers for the review! My no.1 fan hehe!

Thank you very very very very... much for the reviews, you people ROCK!

And now to continue with the show... part two my friends...

**Eternally Yours: The One You Love (Part 2)**

_She flew up to Wing Zero and Heero, and glanced into the cockpit._

"_Wait Heero," she came fully into his view her body hovering above the door._

"_Hn." Heero barely looked up from his tasks._

"_Tell me why it's necessary for you to go too." Relena's eyes pleaded with him for some sort of reasonable answer._

"_Hn." He looked up to her this time._

"_Libra is going down; there isn't any reason to keep on fighting. My brother, Milliardo, and the white fang have been defeated." she told him, still hovering at the door to the cockpit._

"_Hn. I'll make you a bet. Zechs doesn't think that he's lost. What's more I doubt him or Treize are ever going to allow this battle to end." A small trace of a smile danced across his lips._

"_What?" Her eyes widened with curiosity._

"_That's why I've got to go and fight them."_

"_Do you really think if you go the war is really going to come to an end?" She looked at him stubbornly. _

"_Huh?" She was shocked at Heero's next movement. He leant forward and pulled her towards him; his hand placed around the back of her space helmet, and brought her half way into the cockpit._

"_I'll defeat Zechs and I'll go get Treize." There was a strong determination blazing in his deep Prussian blue eyes. "Then the war will be over. Afterwards, if you make it out of here, there will finally be peace. This is the only thing I can do for you."_

"_Heero…" she looked at him with strong passionate eyes._

"_I promised to protect you. But in order to protect you and the earth sphere, Relena, I have no choice but to fight."_

"_No…" she said her voice and eyes once again pleading with him._

"_Please let me fight."_

"_No. I won't. No way. Heero, you're planning to die aren't you?" Heero suddenly flicked down her visor on the helmet and glared at her with a strange almost sad look in his beautiful eyes._

"_Believe in me." He pushed her away from the cockpit sending her gliding slowly across the docking room. Her face was one of shock and bewilderment. He closed the cockpit as she glided further away._

"_Heero…" she called out as she reached out for the nearest railing and grabbed a tight hold of it. "I do. Believe in you. Yes I do."_

"_Goodbye Relena…" He said as he took off in wing Zero, leaving her safely behind._

"_Heero…" she shouted after him, her voice echoing through the docking bay_

-8-

Relena sat upright on her bed, cold sweat dripping off her body. _What a dream. _The dream was of a memory she had, when Heero had rescued her from the Libra ship and was about to take off on a suicide mission. Her heart swelled at the remembrance of her past. A lot had changed since that year. The year she had followed Heero around, chasing after him like a puppy dog.

After that year she had settled down as Vice Foreign Minister, he had taken off, maybe trying to start a life of his own, she didn't know exactly what it was that his goal was, but what she did know was that once Heero had a goal nothing would stop him achieving it. Many years ago, when she was merely fifteen, Relena fell in love with Heero Yuy.

The boy was so mysterious, dangerous, and heartbreakingly handsome; she had been drawn to him immediately. She had always wondered what her classmates had seen in the school 'bad boys', but now she knew.

Heero had threatened to kill her many times, and she had known that he was not joking. The 'perfect soldier' did not have time to joke around.

For years, she dreamt and wished for something that had never been or would be. A lone tear slid down made its way down her cold cheek. She grabbed the teddy bear he had given her for her 16th Birthday and held it close to her. She always held that little bit of hope, that Heero one day would realise how much she loved him and return the love that she had always given him.

But realisation was starting to dawn on her, she now realised that Heero would never feel for her the way she did him and he would never look at her with such love and compassion as he looked at Lafeia.

He would never be hers.

She knew that she needed to get over him but that seemed impossible at the minute. _How can you get over the only man you have ever loved? _She pushed the teddy away from her embrace and held it at arms length studying it carefully. _I thought this was a sign Heero, a sign that you cared. _She pulled the teddy's arms apart in her rage, making a tear appear at the seams. She threw the teddy across the room; it hit the door with a light thud and fell to the ground.

A small, white, folded up piece of paper popped out of the opening from the tear. _Huh? What is this? _Relena thought as she climbed off the large four-poster bed and walked slowly across the room to retrieve the paper. She picked it up carefully, reading the messy scrawl at the front, _Relena _it read. _That is Heero's writing! _She thought as her heart began to thud in her chest, its rhythm progressing in speed. She opened the letter with shaky hands, unfolding it carefully.

_Dear Relena,_

_I do not know when you will receive this message; I just hope that you do not miss it because in this letter I will reveal things that I will never be able to tell you in person for whatever reason. I hope, at the moment, we are still friends, but it is not very likely, as I have sealed the letter inside of the bear hoping that if we fall out you will find it, the way you may have there now._

_Getting to the point, Relena I know, and have known for quite a while, of your feelings for me. I am sorry I have let you suffer for such a long time and have been unwilling to face you and your feelings, but I do not know how to handle them. Relena I love you, but…_

Her heart skipped a beat. _He loves me!_ _He does love me, oh crap it is followed by 'but' that cannot be good._

… _I do not love you in the way you love me. I love you merely as a friend. You will always be a friend of mine, and I apologize but I cannot see you as any more than that._

_Relena you must understand. You have such an amazing life ahead of you, and that life does not contain me, not any more as a friend anyway. You must move on with your life. Forget about me. I am merely a soldier with much spilt blood on my hands, I cannot wash this blood off my hands, it is stained onto me, is a part of me, and therefore a soldier like me is definitely not worthy of a leading role in your life. A life with the 'perfect soldier' would never be the life you have ever dreamed of or anywhere near that…_

She stopped reading and examined the last sentence again. _Oh but Heero, any life with you is the life I have always dreamed about._

… _I too must move on with my separate life, and I hope that one day you will accept this fate of ours and agree that right now, going in separate ways is definitely the right path for both of us. Trust me in this decision Relena. I hope we can still be friends one day. I apologize again for any pain I may have caused you in not returning your love._

_Heero._

Her hands moved gradually over the piece of paper as she sat down slowly on the bed. She felt numb inside and her mind was flooded with memories, all of her memories of times she had been with Heero, the memories that she held so closely to her heart.

-8-

Duo stalked down the stairs to the main reception area slowly, he was still half-asleep, but he had slept in and Heero was bound to give him crap about it already.

He turned the corner to the reception area and saw Heero sitting on a sofa, sipping a mug of coffee, his body tense, ready for anything to happen. _He's always prepared for everything and anything_.

"Hey man. Why the hell do you have to get up so early? It's half four in the morning. Half four in the morning! You know what we're meant to be doing? Eh?" Duo asked his friend.

"Going on our mission." Heero replied coolly.

"Hmph!" Duo glared at him dangerously. He tended to be moody on these early mornings, "No! Sleeping man! Sleeping, don't you ever do it?" he examined Heero closely, sitting down next to him. _Obviously not, considering the state you are in. _Heero emerged from his seat and stood up grabbing his small baggage.

"Let's go." He said before walking out the two main doors.

"Huh!" Duo asked, annoyed that he had only sat down and now had to get up again. "Oh man!"

They walked to the car, Heero silently, and Duo muttering curses towards Heero under his breath.

"Stupid bast… who does he think he is… can't even rest… for one minute… oh no! No, Duo cannot rest… The God of Death… show him…"

"Duo!" Heero said coldly, "I can hear you perfectly well. Just shut up would you. The God of Death will show me nothing." Duo blushed and huffed silently, sitting in the back of the car with Heero. He pushed himself up close to the edge of the car; _I'm keeping as far away from 'the iceman' as possible, _he thought as he stared out of the window, his arms folded stubbornly across his broad chest.

Heero glanced across at his friend and sighed deeply. _Is it possible that he is the same age as me? Eighteen? He's acting like he's eight. _He was shook out of his thoughts as the driver wound down the screen that hid them from his view, in the back of the limo, and turned to face him.

"Master Yuy. Are we ready to go?"

"Yes Pagan. Thank you." Heero answered politely as the driver turned around. Heero scowled, silently fuming at Relena. Why did she always have to be so awkward? Why couldn't she just let him drive his own car to the shuttle port? He hated being driven anywhere, depending upon someone else; it was almost too much for him to bear. Independence was the only thing that kept him sane in this world, that and maybe… Lafeia. _Well at least Relena has not sent me in that pathetic, dopey, girly pink car of hers. That would have been too much._

The car pulled up at the entrance to the spaceport.

"Okay Master Yuy, Master Maxwell. Have a nice flight." Pagan had turned around, and was now eyeing Duo suspiciously, who was still sitting with his arms folded and a childish frown placed upon his face.

"Thank you Pagan." Heero muttered, loud enough for the driver to hear him. "Send Relena my thanks." He forced a smile onto his face and jumped out of the car, longing for fresh air. Duo followed him, looking a bit more pleased to be at the spaceport. Both of them hated being stuck in cars together. They didn't know why, it was just strangely uneasy. They both stood to watch Pagan's car pull away and leave the gates to the shuttle port car park.

"Here we go." Duo said swinging his arm around Heero's shoulder and pushing ever so slightly towards the entrance to the port. Heero glared at him silently but didn't bother pushing his friend's arm off his shoulders. It was strangely comforting to know that Duo was there, for support.

He shuddered.

_Did I just say that? Okay that must be the first time I have ever wanted Duo to accompany me. The only reason I asked him to come was because Lady Une most definitely would not have allowed me to go on my own, and he was easy to ditch if I ever needed to be on my own. The other pilots are nearly impossible to lose. Their eyes are constantly alert. I'm not saying Duo's not as good at guarding as the other pilots, no, he's just well, more trusting in me._

They both boarded their private shuttle within the next fifteen minutes. It had taken Heero a while to persuade the shuttle pilots to let him and Duo drive on their own. He managed it in the end somehow, and here they where sitting silently, floating in space, with just the power of a space engine to keep them from drifting into oblivion. Their destination was colony L3, their mission, to retrieve the girl, _Heero's girl_, where she was on the large colony neither of them knew.

"Ya know it's going to take a while to find her. If she's been kidnapped, she's gonna be somewhere secluded, and it's gonna be hard trying to locate her." Duo said breaking the silence that had settled upon them.

"Hn. I'm aware of that Duo. But thanks for reminding me." Heero said keeping his eyes closed. He was so tired, but no, he could not sleep until she was safe, with him. Then, then he could sleep.

"No problem, buddy." Duo said his voice a whisper, as he too was tired, and drifting slowly into a peaceful sleep.

Heero opened his eyes and glared at his friend enviously. _He has everything he wanted. A home for him to return to, with a girl (who was by the way, safe at the minute) who he loved and who loved him back, the sparkling diamond ring in his back pocket, waiting for the right time to propose to his Hilde. _It was funny when he thought about it. Everyone knew he was going to propose. Everyone knew about the ring, and yet he hadn't told anyone. Another funny thing would be Duo getting married, hah! Now that was a thing he would pay to see.

"Heero?" Duo opened his eyes and stared at his friend.

"Hn." Heero answered, he wasn't aware that Duo was awake.

"Will you be my best man? Like when I have this whole wedding thing planned out, ya know with Hilde and me. I mean, I couldn't think of asking anyone else but you man."

_One minute, he knows that I know about the whole proposal thing. One minute had he proposed already?_

"You've proposed already?" he asked. Duo blushed slightly and scratched the back of his head.

"Well not yet. But soon, very soon."

"Yeah sure, I'll do that for you Duo." Duo smiled impishly at this before leaning back onto his headrest and closing his eyes once again.

The shuttle jerked slightly and shook for a few minutes sending them both forward in their seats. Duo grabbed the control panel and directed the shuttle towards the colony in front of them.

"It won't be long before we reach the colony. I reckon an hour or so. Meanwhile man, you seriously gotta get some sleep."

-8-

He could not sleep. He tried, well not very hard, but he still tried. However, his mind kept leading him down the same path. To her, to the one he loved. This path would then lead to so many of his unanswered questions. _How had they broken through Relena's security barrier? Sure, the one guy, Adam, _his blood boiled at the thought of this man, who was trying to ruin everything that seemed to be going so well for once in his life.

_Adam was Relena's guest. However, he couldn't have done the whole kidnapping by himself; there must have been others, right? Why did he do it? What did he want with her? _He knew that the answer to the last question might lead to the incident in the alley. She had been running from 'them'. Who 'they' where he did not know, and why 'they' wanted her was most likely because, she either had something that they wanted or she had gotten herself somehow involved with their plans.

He sighed deeply as he remembered the event that took part only a few nights ago.

_"Heero?" Lafeia walked over to his bed, she had come from her room, situated right next to Heero's; exactly where he had wanted it. He glanced at his clock on the table; it read 2:19 a.m. He was about to ask her why the hell she was out of her bed at that time when he noticed she was trembling, not only with the cold but with fear. _

"_What's wrong?" he asked unable to keep the concern from wavering in his voice. She came closer and knelt down beside his bed._

"_I had a nightmare. Only I do not think it was a nightmare… Heero they're coming. They want me again." She was still trembling, her face, from what he could see in the dark, which was quite a lot thanks to his great vision, was extremely pale, her eyes were wide with fear and her voice shook uneasily. _

_She closed her eyes and her body rocked slightly with the searing pain in her head._

_She could suddenly see them clearly; running after her, following her into the dark alley, the bullets penetrating into her back, she felt the pain again, maybe not as painful as then, but she felt it._

"_They aren't finished with me yet. I know too much Heero, I know way too much…" Heero's hands shot out and shook her shoulders gently, making her eyes fly open as she found his face in the dark._

"_Calm down a second. Who are after you? And what do you know?" The intensity in his Prussian blue eyes seemed to pierce right into her. She felt the emotion seeping through her body further, she was scared, no _not_ scared, petrified, and she didn't know the exact reason. This terrified her more than anything did. She shook her head violently in response to his question, biting her lower lip._

"_No…" she continued shaking her head, "I don't know. They want me Heero." She looked at him, the fear completely evident in her eyes. "They want me dead." The last part she whispered and, it was barely audible but Heero heard it. _

_Heero watched her as she stopped trembling and fell deep into her thoughts._

"_The red claw." She said suddenly and looked at him expectantly. "Does that mean anything to you?" Heero shook his head faintly and she started trembling again. A single tear fell from her mesmerizing teal eyes and trickled down her cheek. He lifted his hand and wiped it away gently. Gazing into her intently._

"_I know too much…" She stopped and looked up at him in confusion, "it's not fair because in all honesty, I know nothing, yet. I-I can't remember_ anything_." Sadness whelmed over her face replacing the previous fear, and Heero pulled his quilts away and drew her closer to him._

"_Get in." His voice was strangely cold._

"_Huh?" She looked at him, hesitantly._

"_Just get in. I won't do anything, I promise." At this, she smiled down at him and climbed into his bed beside him. She snuggled her body against his and immediately everything seemed as though it would be okay." With Heero by her side the whole time, it seemed that nothing could go wrong._

"_I've missed you in this bed." Heero said when she had settled down. "Since you got your own room, I've been sort of lonely." He laughed but it was so quiet it was nearly silent; _usually he preferred to be lonely

"_I've missed you too." She kissed him lightly on the lips before laying her head against his chest and falling into a nightmare-free sleep._

"_I love you." Heero mouthed the three words he knew would take him a long time to say aloud. Nevertheless, for now, mouthing would have to do, and it helped strange._

He opened his eyes suddenly.

"She knew, the whole time. She knew something like this would happen." _God dammit if only I had listened to her, been a bit more protective of her, not let her slip out of my sight._

"Huh? What did she know?" Duo's eyes blinked open as he stared at him suspiciously, "And who is she?"

* * *

**An excerpt from Chapter 5 : Memories from a Painful Past **

He studied her carefully. She was so fragile and breakable, yet at the same time, he knew she was strong. _How was that possible? _He watched her as she sat upright on the bed, coughing and spluttering. It was then that he noticed the dark crimson splotches of blood upon the damp sheets. His eyes grew wide with shock and worry. _God, look at her. She's really ill. She needs to be tended to properly._ She stood weakly in front of him and he grabbed her arm to steady her. She tried to glare at him, but her lack of energy stopped her and she ended up throwing him a strange, confused glance. _She hates me. There you've done it Adam, the only girl who has ever really mattered to you, and you've gone and turned her against you._

_But you were just following orders… _a voice in his head told him.

"Lafeia…" Adam said worriedly as she spluttered a large amount of blood onto his shirt.

"Don't…" Lafeia told him as she tensed up, the immense pain inside her body was growing. "Say anything." Adam sighed and laid her back down on her bed.

"Lafeia." She looked up at him as he reached the door. "Don't think about escaping, you'll get hurt even more than you are."

His eyes flickered in her direction as he spoke. '_Was that anxiety in his eyes?_ _No, he hates you. But what for? I never did anything to him.' _Lafeia thought.

As if reading her mind, Adam glared at her before saying. "You left Lafeia. I begged you not to, but you did. You left me. Hell, you left everybody! Your friends, the people who cared for you most and everybody that mattered in your life. I was confused for days." He stared at her with sad eyes, "You were my best friend, the only person that could keep me together and I didn't know what to do when you left. So I joined this," He threw his arms up, signalling to the base they were now in, "I joined this force, to take my mind off of you, and look where it lead me. Straight to you, talk about irony." He was about to leave the room when he called one more thing out to her. "Get some rest. You'll need it to recover; I'll bring some clean clothes for you tomorrow." And with that he left the room, locking it behind him and walking down the long corridors.

* * *

_'Love is like war, easy to begin but hard to end.' - Anonymous (Anonymous huh? Anonymous said a lot of very interesting things)_

Rightio, hello again my friends, Like the excerpt? Anyways i desperately need your opinion. Ok, so what do you prefer? The uber long chapters or the split in half chapters! Really need your opinion, so please... tell...

Ok let's have a wee race, whoever gets to the review button first (clicks it and reviews) WINS! Everybody who participates gets a cookie, and we _all_ love cookies, right?

On your marks... get set... GO! hehe

Love ya'll lots and lots and lots...


	6. Memories from a painful past

**Eternally Yours**

**Disclaimer:** Nope, this girl still doesn't own Gundam Wing, but just you wait, i will one day... or maybe not.

AN - Sorry guys! This chapter is really quite long, and was such a PAIN to edit, no joke. I don't know how long i spent trying to correct it, i just hope i haven't left much out.

Yay! Cookies for everyone... (yes virtual cookies hehe... if you've got a problem with that... deal with it, haha, (joking!))

**armygundamgirl** - Thanks so much for your help, and here you go... more... thanks for the review (p.s i got your email, and emailed you back, but you probably won't get it for a while, since you're so busy with work. Well, catch up when ya can!)

**Charliechaz -** Yup, cookie for you! Here ya go (holds out a cookie). You got your way, longer chapters it is. You didn't haveany competition anyway, no one else told me how they like it :(! Ahh well.. makes me love ya even more hehe. Too bad you couldn't bring your computer camping with you, but all is well, you are forgiven, my friend hehe. Thanx for the review!

**burgandy3721** - Virtual cookie for Jess! Yea! haha, i dunno were i got red claw from, just a random thing that popped frommy useless mind hehe.Oh dear, looks like i'm gonna have to hack into your computer and delete the mobs contact info. (laughs evilly) hehe, thanks for the review! glad to make you happy.

**KraZeeLilMee - **Thanks for the review, hope you're in your talkative mood when you review this chapter(which you WILL do, RIGHT?) lol cause i love long reviews, even if they are just useless rambling... hello, that's what i'm all bout.

And on with the story...

**Chapter five: Memories from a painful past**

The only light in the dreary room emerged from a single candle, burning itself down gradually, as its hot wax dripped onto the wooden table below it.

Lafeia stood sleepily, looking around her, her head was hammering with the after effect of the chloroform and her heart was pounding heavily in her chest.

_Where am I? _She thought, clutching her head in her hands and closing her eyes again briefly, _a cell? _She asked as her headache suddenly worsened. She wavered on the spot and felt her head spinning as the room shook violently, giving her double vision.

She sat down on the bed that was beside her. It had a firm mattress that was practically rock solid, with extremely thin sheets thrown across it. She knew instantly that her stay here wasn't going to be a comfortable one. _I've got to get out of here. _She looked around for any means of escape and upon finding that there wasn't any, she collapsed onto the stiff bed. She had known that there wasn't going to be any exits, but it was worth a try, after all she didn't know who she was dealing with, well apart from Adam…

Her head started spinning again at the thought of him. _Adam what are you up to? _She sighed heavily and glared up at the ceiling, it was dark grey with dark spots scattered across it, she guessed from the damp. As she was staring at the ceiling, trying not to let her mind drift too far into her thoughts, she heard the door open and someone walk into the room. She continued staring at the ceiling, not caring to check to see who had walked in, but starting to think of plans and methods of ways that she could escape this miserable cell. Now, if only she knew where she was…

"Ahem." A strong masculine voice disturbed her from her thoughts and she turned to face her 'visitor'. She glared at the man, whose face was hidden by the shadows, the tiny candle's light barely stretched across the table, never mind to the other side of the room, her eyes flickered quickly to the door behind him. The door that was currently closed, but was obviously not locked.

"Don't even think about it." The man warned her. His voice was cold and icy and as it reached her it sent shivers down her back.

"Think about what?" She shot back in a venomous tone matching the iciness in the man's voice.

"Escaping, and don't act smart with me Lafeia. I know all about your distraction techniques. I also happen to know that you're a terrible liar." The man stepped forward slightly, letting the dim light from the candle engulf his face.

Lafeia gasped and moved further back onto the bed involuntarily. "Adam…" she started. The man grunted in response and leaned in closer to her face.

"I'm glad you're awake. I was getting bored waiting for the drug to wear off." He told her. Lafeia just glared at him coldly as she watched her old friend glare back at her, his eyes as icy and pitiless as the tone of his voice. Her heart raced as he moved slowly onto the bed and leaned closer until he was merely inches from her face. She held her breath carefully, not trusting her voice.

"How is… _my_ Lafeia?" He whispered it softly and quietly, the coldness had nearly completely faded from his strong voice and she felt his breath skim across her cheek as he spoke. She gasped and looked back at him in shock.

"Your Lafeia? No Adam." She told him quietly. "No, no, no, no, no, no…"

"Sshhh." His hand covered her mouth to silence her.

"Adam!" She pulled back from him angrily. "I'm no longer yours! You should know that by now!"

He stared at her, a malevolent grin plastered across his face. Obviously, he was enjoying seeing her worked up.

She glared at him, hatred starting to fill the gap in her heart that had been left empty by him.

He looked at her again and his grin had faded, his face was now completely serious and his eyes held a strange sadness about them. "Right here, right now, you are not, but in time, you will be mine once again." He stood up again and looked down at her small diminutive form lying on the bed. He sighed deeply, inhaling the stale, vault-like air of the cell.

"You're wrong Adam." This time there was no coldness in her voice, it was soft and weak, from her lack of energy.

"When did you become so weak? He asked her. "When hanging around the preventer's base with those half-wit boyfriends of yours?"

"Adam. Please just stop this." She coughed, a rush of tiredness spread through her body. "And stop calling me yours. You know that agreement died along with my parents along time ago." Tears swelled up in her eyes and Adam looked down at her regretful of what he was doing.

He studied her carefully. She was so fragile and breakable, yet at the same time, he knew she was strong. _How is that possible? _He watched her as she sat upright on the bed, coughing and spluttering. It was then that he noticed the dark crimson splotches of blood upon the damp sheets. His eyes grew wide with shock and worry. _God, look at her. She's really ill. She needs to be tended to _properly She stood weakly in front of him and he grabbed her arm to steady her. She tried to glare at him, but her lack of energy stopped her and she ended up throwing him a strange, confused glance. _She hates me. There you've done it Adam, the only girl who has ever really mattered to you, and you've gone and turned her against you. _

_But you were just following orders… _a voice in his head told him.

"Lafeia…" Adam said worriedly as she coughed a large amount of blood onto his shirt.

"Don't…" Lafeia told him, she tensed up, the immense pain inside her body was growing. "Say anything." Adam sighed and laid her back down on her bed.

"Lafeia." She looked up at him as he reached the door. "Don't think about escaping. You'll get hurt even more than you already are."

His eyes flickered in her direction as he said that. '_Was that anxiety in his eyes?_ _No, he hates you. But what for? I never did anything to him.' _Lafeia thought.

As if reading her mind, Adam glared at her before saying. "You left Lafeia. I begged you not to, but you did. You left me. Hell, you left everybody! Your friends, the people who cared for you most and everybody that mattered in your life. I was confused for days." He stared at her with sad eyes, "You were my best friend, the only person that could keep me together and I didn't know what to do when you left. So I joined this," He threw his arms up, signalling to the base that they were now in.

"I joined this force, to take my mind off of you, and look where it lead me. Straight to you. Talk about irony." He was about to leave the room when he called one more thing out to her. "Get some rest. You'll need it to recover; I'll bring some clean clothes for you tomorrow." And with that he left the room, locking it behind him and walking down the long corridors.

_What am I going to do now? I can't leave her in there in her condition… Michael, he'll do something. He's bound to. _He quickened his pace and headed off towards Cromer's (the leader of the 'red claw') room.

"Don't leave yet…" She called quietly after him as she listened to his footsteps echoing through the corridor, until they disappeared. To be replaced by an eerie silence leaving her feeling of weak and lonely. She was alone with her thoughts, now was the time to bring out the memories of her past, as painful as it may be.

_"Lafeia, darling, time to get ready for the party." Her mother called to her from the door to her bedroom. A young girl with straight jet-black hair appeared in front of the woman; she was around eight years old and had an innocent smile plastered across her pretty face._

"_Party, mommy? What party?" The young girl asked._

"_Why darling today you get to find out who your suitor is." Her mother looked down at her proudly, "Oh darling I'm so excited."_

"_But mommy, what's a suitor?" A confused look spread across the young girl's face._

"_It's the man you're going to be married to when you're older."_

"_I've already got a man to be married to." Her mother frowned at her. _

"_Okay. Look Darling, just get ready for mommy, will you?"_

"_Okay mommy, but wait." Her mother sighed but listened to the young girl, "Can Adam come to the party? Please oh please oh please, mommy. Adam has to come with me."_

"_Huh? Why is that Lafeia?" Her daughter grinned up at her, and a young boy appeared beside her at the doorframe looking at her innocently, he had a dazed look in his eye as he watched the young girl beside him._

"_Because mommy. Adam is my prince." Her daughter grabbed the young boy's hand, tugging him forward slightly; Adam blushed and looked down to the ground but his gaze soon followed upwards to find the young girl again, and he looked at her with admiration and something else in his eyes… Hold on … that was love...? "Once Adam is King and I am Queen we shall be married and live happily together forever and ever, in love.." Lafeia smiled up at her mother, Adam's hand still clutched tightly in hers. "Just like it says in my book, mommy." The young girl held up a fairytale book for her mother to see. Her mother smiled down at her. "Okay then. Your Prince may attend the party, but on one condition…" The young girl's teal eyes brightened as she silently pleaded with her mother to continue, "That you get ready for the party right now."_

"_Thank you mommy!" The girl beamed up at her mother before turning to return to her room with her 'beloved prince'. _

Lafeia stared up at her ceiling, remembering how Adam and she had spent so much time in her room, they always played with all of her toys and left everything laying all over the place for the maids to pick up, oh how they loved torturing the maids. Actually it was more her idea than Adam's, it always was her idea, she was the one in control, Adam just tended to play along with her plans, even the one where she had the idea of the two of them getting married. That was their plan, to become 'King and Queen' of the colony and torture all the maids, all over. Well, it was their plan until disaster struck the lands. '_Oh mother, father… I miss you both so much…'_

_"Lafeia! Come here quickly!" A younger Lafeia, of around eleven years, ran out of a room, her long glossy black hair swishing elegantly behind her back, her bangs hanging in front of her face, styled neatly the way she liked them and contrasting with the paleness of her porcelain face. Her dress flowed gently around her slim legs and her eyes glittered dangerously with curiosity. She was followed closely by a taller boy, with messy blonde hair, the boy was around the same age as the girl, he was wearing jeans and a casual polo shirt, and his handsome face displayed a look identical to the young Lafeia's. Curiosity._

"_It's my mother Lafeia; she's calling you from the sitting room." He grinned childishly, his eyes still displaying a look of love and affection as he watched the girl grin back at him._

"_What are you up to Adam?" She asked, cocking her head slightly to one side._

"_I'll race you there." His grin widened._

"_Fair enough, but you know I'll win and-"_

"_Hah! No way will you beat me." He told her cutting through her words. Lafeia stopped talking and glared at her best friend._

"_Oh, yes I will beat you." She responded, her face becoming a little red at the cockiness of her friend._

"_Okay then." Adam stopped grinning and looked at her seriously, "We'll make a bet. If I win… you have to kiss me." Lafeia's jaw dropped and she looked at him, shocked._

"_And If I win?" she wanted to know._

"_Well I'll do anything for you," he watched her face brighten considerably, "anything reasonable Lafeia." She rolled her eyes at him._

"_You're no fun!" She laughed, causing Adam to laugh too, as he had always found that her laugh was infectious. "Okay on the count of three then…" She looked over to Adam who was getting ready to sprint down the long corridors of his house. "Three!" She yelled as she started sprinting as fast as she could, down the corridor. _

"_Hey!" Adam called from his spot, but he started tearing up the corridor behind her, he knew he was fast enough to catch up to her, and he _would_ have been easy on her but she cheated, so now he'd just have to win. "You cheater!" he called after her; he could hear her laughing growing louder as he neared her. She glanced around briefly._

"_What the-?" She shouted, as she saw that he was only a few paces behind her, and not nearly as out of breath as she was. This time it was his turn to laugh. "How'd you do that? Have you secret passages here that I don't know about?" She asked him suspiciously, still rapidly losing her breath._

"_Nope!" He called from behind her, blowing gently on the back of her neck to show her how close he was. She yelped and started to speed up and push herself to go faster, burning up a lot of her energy. Adam smiled and slowed down as he watched her hit the sitting room doors._

"_Hah! See told you I'd win." She stuck her tongue out to him childishly. Adam shrugged, still smiling at her. 'I let you' he thought._

"_Okay, what do I owe you?" He asked her. She thought for a second then smiled up at him, moving closer. He frowned deeply at her approaching form._

"_What?" he asked agitatedly._

"_You owe me this." She leant forward, planting a kiss on his lips and pulling him towards her, Adam who was shocked by her sudden action, froze momentarily but then pulled her closer to him roughly, bringing her body against his and taking her in his arms, kissing her deeply._

"_Adam!" Adam's mother unexpectedly appeared at the doorway to the sitting room, a look of utter shock on her face. The two jumped apart, looking uneasy and embarrassed. "While you two have been playing around out here," she glared at Adam who lowered his head, "We have received some very dreadful and terribly sad news." She cast Lafeia a look of sympathy._

"_What's wrong Mrs Foster?" Lafeia asked, suddenly worried._

"_It's your parents Lafeia." She sighed, and grief washed over her face, making her look older than she should have. "You better come in and sit down, dear." She ushered the two of them inside and once the two of them were settled onto a couch she sat beside her husband, diagonal from the children. "My darling Lafeia, I'm so sorry, but your parents…" Lafeia leant forward, sitting on the edge of her chair and ready to hang onto every word that came out of Mrs Roster's mouth. _

"_Your parents…" Suddenly she burst into tears and was pulled into an embrace be her husband. He looked apologetically at Lafeia who was now looking extremely pale and fearful._

"_Your parents, Lafeia," Mr Roster continued for his wife, "have been tragically killed in an ambush to get rid of any political members who oppose the war. Your parents, being national emblems of the peace, were attacked in this misfortunate assault. I'm so sorry dear." Lafeia froze, not being able to move or speak, she felt Adam's hand come to rest on her back._

"_Are you sure?" She asked her voice was shaking as she spoke. Mr Roster nodded his head._

_Tears spilt out of her eyes as she tried to come to terms with the situation. She stood slowly, glancing around the room, she nodded to Adam and his parents, and then unable to think of anything else to say she fled from the room. Adam got up to go after her but his father grabbed his arm._

"_Leave her be, she needs some time to adjust to this." He told him._

"_Poor girl." His mother sobbed. Adam looked longingly at the door, but sat back down on the couch, deciding to take his father's advice._

_Lafeia ran out of the grounds of the Roster house and round the gate that led to the entrance to her grounds. She ran into her house, calling for her parents, hoping they would be there, that this was some sort of sick joke, or nightmare. She ran to their room and to all the other rooms in the house, which took a long time, as it was a very large house. Eventually she collapsed onto her bed, tears, rolling off her cheeks and dampening her pillow. _

She was still studying the ceiling, although she wasn't really studying it, or seeing it, she was too deeply involved in her memories as she remembered how Adam's family had taken the into their home after that event. Nevertheless, very soon _they_ were after her too, the people and colonists who were rebelling against the peace and her family, they were after_ her _too.

_"Uh, Lafeia, where are you going? Why have you your bag packed? What are you planning on doing? Will you answer me Lafeia? Lafeia!" Adam shouted out her name and she paused her packing. 'So many questions' she thought._

"_What is it Adam?" she turned to face him. He was looking worried and maybe a little anxious._

"_You're leaving, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question. He looked at her with sad eyes, begging her to stay. "Why?" he wanted to know._

"_Because, it's not fair on your family," She broke eye contact with him; she couldn't stand feeling the guilt that tore through her heart when she looked into his deep jade green eyes. "I'm too much of a hassle; I'm too much of a threat to your family. I'm putting everyone in danger, including you."_

"_My family don't care! They are more than happy to have you here; you're no hassle to them or to anyone! Don't be stupid Lafeia you can't leave." His voice was steadily rising with his anger, as was the colour on his face._

"_Adam!" This time she looked him in the eye, "Houses are being searched around this area, they're searching for me, and they aren't going to stop until they find me." Her eyes glinted, Adam knew this sign, it meant that she was up to something, and he had a feeling he really wouldn't like this 'something' of hers. "Already, five houses have been burnt down because they haven't been able to find me; they know I'm around here Adam. It's only a matter of time before they come for me. I'm just glad nobody's been hurt yet. There's another reason I have to leave." _

"_What are you planning on doing?" Adam asked furiously._

"_Well I just need to be seen somewhere, not here, but somewhere far away, so they can follow me and leave this colony alone."_

"_Leave this colony alone? You mean you're leaving the colony?"_

"_Yeah, it's my only choice. I have to do this Adam, and don't even try to stop me."_

"_You're crazy! You can't leave, you'll be killed!"_

"_I won't be killed, I'm not stupid Adam!"_

"_Yeah but you're eleven! You're only eleven years old, god dammit Lafeia!" He swung his fist onto the dresser, startling her, but she carried on with her packing. "I'm coming with you." He told her._

"_Oh yeah I'm 'only eleven', well news flash Adam, you're only twelve, that's a year older than me, that's not going to do much difference. Anyway, you're not leaving with me Adam; I'm not going to let you. You have to stay with your family."_

"_They're practically you're family too! And I'm not letting you leave either. I'm not going to lose you." Lafeia finished packing her case and hauled it to the door. "You're not leaving without saying goodbye, and my parents won't let you go anyway. Hold on I'm going to get them." He dashed out the door, running as fast as he could towards his parent's room._

"_You're right Adam," Lafeia said to the empty room, "I can't leave without saying goodbye," she glanced around the room that the Roster's had allocated her. A single tear fell out of her eye and hit the wooden flooring below, she watched it fall before sighing and walking to the door. "Goodbye Adam."_

_Adam rushed back up to the room, his parents following him, but by the time he got to her room it was too late, she was gone and was nowhere to be seen._

"_Lafeia!" he called to her wherever she was. _

Lafeia wondered what would have happened if she hadn't left Adam. She guessed that they now would have been married, if the colonists hadn't gotten to them anyway. _I made the right choice. _She assured herself. _If I hadn't, I would never have met Heero. _His name tugged at her heartstrings, causing warm tears to form in her eyesShe crawled underneath the thin covers of the bed to try to trap some warmth into her body and fell asleep.

-8-

Adam arrived at the headquarters and walked over to the receptionist, she blushed when she noticed him walking towards her. Adam had known that the girl had, had a thing for him for quite a while, but he found it easiest to pretend that he was oblivious to her emotions.

"Good… um… evening Mr Roster, um… Michael is just in his office, um… go on in." The girl stuttered.

"Thank you Sarah." Adam replied, avoiding her gaze and heading straight for Michael's office.

-8-

"Why Adam, I didn't think I'd see you tonight. How's the girl?" Michael Cromer asked as Adam entered his office. The same fire was glowing as was the last time Adam had visited, when he had been assigned this mission by his boss. Their formalities died when their hour of work ended, no longer did they need to call each other by surnames or address each other formally and Adam no longer had to refer to his long term friend as 'sir'.

"She's not too good Michael. She's coughing up blood. Can't you speed this whole process along a bit so that we can get her some proper medical care," Michael noticed that as his friend talked to him he was clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles were white.

"She's in a really bad condition. If we don't get her treated soon she may… die." His whole body flinched as he thought of losing her; no, he wasn't going to allow that to happen, no matter what conclusion it led to, even if it meant betraying his boss and friend, Michael Cromer.

"What is she to you Adam?" Michael asked, jumping to the question that was on his mind, he had no time for subtleties.

"Uh, what?" Adam asked.

"Well, I'm not stupid Adam; I've known you for along time, why would you care about this girl so much if she didn't mean anything to you?"

"She's an old friend; I've known her since, well since she was born actually. She's just a reminder of my past"

"And you agreed to kidnap her?" Adam bowed his head in answer to the question.

"That was a bit harsh Adam. You could have told me you had connections, I never would have put you on the job under those circumstances."

"No one else would be as good as me at fulfilling your requirements Michael. No one else could do it as well as me and no one else could do it without leaving them with something to trace us down. You know that I expertise in a lot more things than any of the other soldiers here."

"Too true Adam, too true." Michael sighed and stared at his friend, "Take a seat." He motioned to one of the chairs across from him and watched Adam sit down.

"Right, now would you care to explain just what happened down in the cell with your girl."

'_Your girl?' _Adam sighed, glancing over at Michael. He saw that his friend was sitting patiently waiting for him to start talking. Taking a deep breath, he gathered all the thoughts and memories he knew that he would need and started to retell his conversation with Lafeia.

Michael watched his friend recall what he had happened when he had visited the girl. As he studied Adam's face, he noticed it was inscribed with painful emotions, one so obvious that one would have to be blind to not see it. The burning pain of heartache.

_Hold on! He loves her? _He thought, reading the clear emotion flash across his face, it was instantly gone and replaced by anger, but he knew what he had seen. He wondered silently, if now was the right time to confront his friend was.

"Roster?" Michael barked, startling Adam from his thoughts.

"Huh?" Adam glared up at him confused as to why they had suddenly jumped back to being formal with each other.

"I am resigning you from this mission. You are no longer guarding the hostage Lafeia Gartner. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir." Adam stated, still confused. "But why Michael?"

"Because you love her and I can't have your feelings getting in the way of this mission, it's too important."

"I don't…"

"Again Adam I am not stupid. I can tell when my friend is in love." Michael interrupted.

"Please Michael, put me back on the case. I'm your best man for the job and you know it, you said it earlier." _I need to keep an eye on her._

"No, it's putting you through too much emotional turmoil. And don't tell me that it isn't true because I can see clearly, that it is." Adam glared at him; his eyes were cold and somehow unreadable.

"Michael, don't be irrational, you need me to help pull this mission through, and otherwise, who else will do it?" Michael grinned back at him.

"I will find someone my friend," he told Adam. He was extremely worried for his friend; he knew that he hadn't slept since they had brought the girl back and that he had been living off caffeine until she woke. "I will find someone." He echoed.

Sighing, he looked up at Adam, and suddenly remembering what Adam had said earlier he added "And I will find the girl better accommodation once she agrees contribute to my plans."

"These plans…" Adam started, intending to question his friend on plans that were unknown to everyone.

"You should go and get some rest Adam; I know you haven't slept since we got back. Now go!" He said with a harsher tone, interrupting through his friend before he could start asking questions.

Just as Adam was walking out of the door, heeding his orders, he called, "What cell is she in?" Adam froze at the door, his body becoming rigid.

"Forty-five," He turned to glare at his friend, "You better get her out of there." He headed out of the room and towards his sleeping headquarters.

"Why would you care, after all she is just another painful 'reminder of your past'?" Michael said, talking to the empty room.

"Carson!" He barked to the guard standing at his door.

"Yes sir?" The man replied.

"I wish to visit cell forty five. Please make sure that the guards have unlocked all the doors before I get there."

"Yes sir." The man left the room quickly, to warn the guards of his upcoming presence and to unlock all the gates leading to the cells.

Michael turned back to the COM screen in front of him and dialled a number from the top of his head. After a while, a young man appeared on the screen, his dark red hair hung attractively across his face, almost covering his fiercely blue eyes, which shimmered with an almost silver glow. His face would appear almost threatening had it not shown a friendly, amused grin.

"Alex Trooper, it's been a while."

"Sure has boss, sorry I've err… been tied up with a few things." The young man replied.

"Are you still busy, because I have a favour to ask of you?"

"No, I'm free now. What can I do for you? I hope this isn't another one of those external missions, 'cause you know last time I…"

"No, Alex, no external mission." Michael said firmly. The young man's face lightened up, the anxiety fading from, his eyes.

"Okay then, what is it?

"I want you to keep an eye on our friend Adam Roster. He's been acting rather strange lately, and I'm slightly concerned for his well being. I want you to stay with him at all times; don't let him out of your sight. Oh and make sure he eats and sleeps, he seems to have forgotten that both of these are necessary requirements for a healthy life." The older man's face looked slightly puzzled, and his face wrinkled in confusion, making him look twenty years older.

"My man Adam? Sure thing boss. I'll be over there in ten. Don't worry bout finding him. I'll hunt him down." He grinned foolishly before disappearing off the monitor.

_Right, now to deal with the girl._ Turning off the monitor of the vidphone, he rose from his seat and walked out of his office. His guard held the door for him and followed his master towards the dungeons and down to cell number forty-five.

A short while later Michael was standing in the doorway of the cell, frowning down upon the helpless form of a young girl, her silken hair lay across the bed, a few strands falling over her cherubic facial features. She stirred as the door behind him slammed violently with a loud bang. She stared up at him with unfocused eyes.

"Hello Lafeia."

His voice, dangerously low, sent a shiver through Lafeia's body. She could hear the darkness held within it ride through his calmed tone with a sharp bite.

She glared up at him, concealing her fear with a stern look.

"Miss Gartner, thank you for gracing us with your presence." Was he mocking her? "I would like to have a few words with you." Before she could open her mouth to protest, he began to speak again.

"I am well aware, that you are the soldier who crept into our base at Langford and stole information from us, and most importantly my plans for the future. However, do not fret. The plans are being put into action as we speak at this moment, we just need a few more things and everything will be set." He grinned at her maliciously. Again, Lafeia opened her mouth to protest, '_what plans? I have no idea what he is talking about.' _But he silenced her by continuing his speech.

"You didn't think I would let an intruder like you escape for long, did you?" He raised an eyebrow at her in mock disbelief. Lafeia scowled at him.

"Well there is a way that you can make it up to me; I need you to participate in my plans. If you do know my plan, which I am well aware that you do, since you did read my documents, then you will understand my intentions for keeping you here, and what relevant role you shall play in this plot of mine…"

_What is he on about? … I have no idea who he is, what he wants, or what the hell he's talking about. I haven't seen any of these plans he speaks so fondly of._

All of a sudden, her head began to spin; a sickening dizziness overtook her body as she steadied herself by putting both her hands firmly upon the mattress in front of her. She only barely noticed that the strange man had begun to frown upon her, looking down at her, slightly concerned. Suddenly she felt extremely light-headed, as if she were floating upon darkness, her body, breaking the laws of gravitation and floating like a feather in a gentle breeze. She was starting to enjoy this strange sensation when she felt herself being drawn downwards by a persistently strong force. It was pulling her down, unwillingly, she wanted to scream out in pain as the force twisted her body agonizingly, and then as quickly as it had all happened it surrendered, the pain was gone, the strong force was gone and everything was peaceful once again.

_Lafeia found herself in a small room, a dim light radiating from behind her, a small technological computer facing her, and her hands furiously typing away at the keyboard._

_She scanned the wording on the monitor in front of her…_

… _Declares independence from colonies and earth… Gundam… rebuilt… pilots recaptured…_

_She gasped as she read it. What monster of a human being was thinking of carrying out this plan? It was suicide to the peace, the peace that they had all gained and deserved… no! She wasn't about to let that happen. She heard the sound of many feet coming towards the small room she was in, yelling at each other, an alarm was ringing somewhere in the background. _

_Dammit she'd been found out; she dived quickly out the doors sprinting towards the exit_…

Lafeia sat upright on her bed as Michael stared at her with a curious yet confused expression. She stared at him and upon remembering his plans; she felt her stomach twist sickly with disgust.

"Leave the Gundams out of this!" she yelled at him, anger furiously rising through her body and suddenly boosting her confidence.

"So you do remember?" He asked after a few minutes of staring at her blankly, her sudden behaviour was confusing him. His face broke into a faint smile as he watched her looking at him in with a strong sense of revulsion. "I'm sorry, but unless you comply with my plans then I'm afraid that I will need them to fill in for your part." He hated having to lie to her, but this was for the colony, independence was strongly needed. He sighed and looked deeply into her eyes, maybe if he looked deep enough he could trance her into some sort of hypnotism.

Lafeia glared daggers at him, he was blackmailing her into abiding by his plans, and if she didn't, she had no doubt that he would resort to using the Gundams as his plan B." She sighed and reluctantly nodded her head.

"Fine. I will comply with your plans, so long as the Gundams and their pilots are left unharmed." She felt a heavy loss of hope fall over her shoulders, as if she was taking the weight of the universe into her hands, which she was kind of doing, in a way she was protecting the universe's only form of protection, the universe's heroes. Her parents and Heero would strongly disagree with what she was doing now. They always had seen her as being so weak and defenceless. Well she could take care of herself; she would show them that she could make something of herself. _Oh Heero, forgive me… please…_

Michael's smile widened at her reply. Of course, he would need the Gundam's too, but technically, what he was using them for wasn't breaking the compromise he had with the girl, he wasn't going to _harm _them, well not really. Unless they refused to co-operate, then he would have to resort to violence.

"Great. Well firstly let's get you into some sort of better accommodation, after all you are our guest, and our only hope of putting these plans into action." He took her arm and led her out of the room, her body tensed at his touch and he could feel that she wanted to pull away from his grip.

For a moment, guilt flooded through his body, and he wanted to set her free and give her the life that she should be having as a teenage girl. Not the life that he had planned for her, the cruel harsh life that awaited her in the near future, but he pushed these thoughts away and tightened his grip on her arm, leading her to the room that he had prepared for her.

They arrived at the room a few minutes later. The room was underground, giving her no windows to escape from, and only one light source dangling from a shaded bulb above their heads. In the centre of the room sat a king-size four-poster bed, the mattress was covered with a red satin quilt which was richly decorated with beautiful hand woven stitches and four luxurious downy pillows.

Lafeia could tell already, that this was a much more comfortable room than the last. Draped across the four posts was a crimson material that looked similar to the curtains. Two mahogany bedside tables stood at each end of the large bed each one holding ivory candles placed in large silver candle stands.

To one side of the room stood a large mahogany dresser, whose design was made to match the bed, it was massive, she had never seen one so large, and she had grown up like royalty. The carpet was a deep red, which seemed to remind Lafeia strangely of a stained blood; the walls were coated with a creamy paint and bordered with a dark mahogany. The room was a large one, and suddenly Lafeia was reminded of her room, which her parents had given to her in their mansion. It was a sad thought and she was suddenly feeling like a trapped rat in a cage, she had no means of escape and she was realising that her stay here was going to be much longer than she had initially thought.

She pulled out of the man's grasp and walked over to the bed throwing her body onto it and glaring up at the high ceiling solemnly. All of her hopes and dreams were fading away from her, too far for her too reach yet still in her mind taunting, teasing and haunting her.

Her hopes of having a normal life with the one she truly cared about more than anyone all rushed away from her, becoming a far off dream that could only be watched and not achieved. She realised that she would never get married (never mind getting married to Heero), she would never have children and watch them grow and she would never have grandchildren. She would_ never_ have a normal life.

Lafeia completely forgot about the man standing at her door watching her as she faded into isolation from the world, into loneliness, sadness and desperation, which were pushing her slowly towards her downfall.

He watched her as she lay on the four-poster bed, her beautiful teal eyes glazed with depression as she revelled in her thoughts. Her eyes were so miserable that it was heartbreaking to watch them.

Regret and guilt washed over him once again, he was suffocating the girl and he knew it, she didn't deserve this, no petty offence such as trespassing and violating private grounds should result in the persecution and punishment that this young girl was receiving. After all it wasn't her fault that she was linked to all of the gundams in one way or another. He briefly wondered if she even knew that she was living with them. Had they even told her? He strangely doubted that they had.

He couldn't bear these feelings, he didn't want to feel any form of sympathy or compassion for the girl, it would only cause a flaw and a weakness in his strength, the strength that he, as a leader of many, needed to possess. He left her quickly locking the door behind him, she would gain some form of freedom through time, but right now it was too risky to let such a strong girl wander the corridors of his base.

-8-

"Stop following me!" Adam barked out at his stalker without turning around. "I know it's you Alex. I thought that you wouldn't be back for a while."

"Nah I changed my mind, decided to come back and see how my old buddy was doing." His follower replied.

"Hmph! I'm not stupid Alex, I know that Michael has assigned you to baby-sit me or whatever, well guess what, I don't need your help and I don't need his help either!" He spat out turning around to face his opponent.

Alex stared at him, his friend's words stung him, they had been the truth, but they had still stung him coming with such a harsh tone from his friend. The hurt must have registered on his face as Adam glared at him confusedly.

"No. I just wanted to check up on a friend, is that such a crime Adam?" He asked him. Adam seemed to back down at this; he lowered his defences, his face and steely grey eyes softened.

"Leave me alone Alex, I mean it." Adam grated softly. He turned on his heel walking swiftly towards his room, which was situated at the opposite side of the base. Alex ignoring his friend's words followed him without hesitation.

Upon reaching his room, Adam punched in his six-digit code, and stormed into his room, throwing himself on his couch, not taking care to close the door behind him. He knew that some way or another Alex would find his own way in, he was pretty sure the jerk had his key copied for himself, so that he could let himself in whenever. Adam sighed and placed his head in his hands, waiting for his friend to start interrogating him. He had already decided that he wasn't going to answer.

Alex followed him in, glancing around the apartment. It hadn't changed since the last time he had been here. It was a plain room with no decorations, no personal belongings anywhere, blinds unopened, beer bottles still lying across the floor, not that Adam was an alcoholic. No, he could cope with all the heavy drinking.

The room was so cold and empty, it reflected Adam's personality, really, the guy didn't care about anything anymore. All of a sudden, since that girl stole into the base and they had found out who she was, the young man had been slowly drained of his normally full life.

Alex sighed; it was hard to be around a guy who was so damned depressed all the time and not feel some of that depression wear off onto you. He turned his attention to his friend who was now walking towards the kitchen. Adam emerged a few seconds later with a crate of beer in his hand. He took his seat again whilst taking long swigs out of the bottle in his hand and letting his head fall back against the settee. His eyes were struggling to stay open, signalling to Alex that his friend was very tired.

"How long has it been since you had a decent night's sleep?" Alex asked him, noticing his friend's movements, his friend decided to ignore him, taking another swig from the beer.

"Adam!" he barked after a while getting frustrated at his non-cooperating friend. Adam slowly lifted his head to meet his gaze and Alex noticed that his friend had already finished the crate, he gasped in surprise.

"What the…" _when did he finish that? _Alex had known his friend to be a frequent drinker, but the man knew when to stop, he knew not to get drunk, it would do nothing for his job, he wondered whether his friend knew that alcohol was actually a depressant, once the stimulating effects wore off.

Staring at his friend who was still glaring at him through slightly unfocused eyes Alex watched him suddenly rise from his seat and make his way back into the kitchen, _another crate. _Alex thought as his friend came back, settling into his spot. Alex knew that he wouldn't get the answers to his questions easily; when it came to personal questions Adam wasn't exactly open with his thoughts and feelings. To get his answers he would have to be manipulative.

He went over to the couch and placed himself beside Adam, watching his friend consume the alcohol at an amazingly fast rate. _Should I ask him what's going on inside that damned mind of his? _Alex pondered

_Why the hell isn't this working fast enough? _The effects of the alcohol were very slowly taking a hold of his body, numbing his mind from the intense pain burning inside it and cooling the wounds of his heart… Why the hell had he agreed to even participate in this bloody plan! Was it revenge, fuck no! It couldn't be revenge, it was love, he knew it, he had to see her again, even if it meant against her will.

Yes, love was the reason he had taken part, he wanted to hate her, hell he did, but he couldn't. When he had been in the halls of the Peacecraft mansion, he had turned that love into a furious hate… Why? He didn't even know. God, why was he so pathetic? He couldn't even keep his _own_ emotions under control. When it came to Lafeia, he was a whole damn book of emotions.

He grabbed another bottle from the crate at his feet, pulling off the top with his bare hands. He only vaguely took notice of the man who was sitting next to him, studying him intensely watching him down his drinks in a few gulps and slowly reach for the next whilst his mind tortured him with remembrances of the past, remembrances of her, her on the whole… she was torturing him unintentionally. Hell, he loved her so much that it was tearing him up inside.

_"Adam!" she punched him lightly, not that she could hurt him of course, she was so weak, unlike himself. He was extremely strong because his dad had him out training for five hours a day, but being the Gartner's daughter, Lafeia was forbidden to do such harsh training and exercising. She was an idol, she was meant to be beautiful and show off a great sense of elegance and sophistication. Whilst he was training, she was inside learning from books, learning from her tutor and learning the appropriate etiquette for a young lady of such a high standards._

_Adam laughed at her, and her face turned a dark shade of pink, the blush rising through her cheeks and making her glow even more radiantly than usual._

_She regained her poise, and turned her head away from him, her legs dangling gracefully over the edge of the branch and her feet skimming against the rush of the flowing river._

_Feeling annoyed at her unwillingness to play, Adam kicked his foot playfully out of the water splashing water up onto her new silk dress. Lafeia screamed, and jerked backwards causing her body to topple backwards, but Adam grabbed her quickly before she could fall._

_He stared deeply into her eyes, finding himself suddenly drawn to them, unable to tear his own eyes away. A small grin danced across her beautiful lips, _at last_, he thought_she smiled, _she hadn't smiled in days. Ever since she found out the tragic news about her parents, she had refrained herself from smiling, it was almost her way of mourning. But it had been months now and Adam was trying to bring her out of her grieving. He leant down slowly, taking her lips with his and kissing her hard. The world around them seemed to halt, time seemed to slow, and their surroundings disappeared until it was just him and her, alone together. _

_Her hand gradually moved towards his head, tugging his body closer to hers, they had both completely forgotten that they where balancing on an unsteady large branch which was suspended above the river below them._

_They had found this place when they were only kids, and had spent most of their time there ever since. _

_Pushing his body on top of hers and deepening their kiss Adam lost his balance and slipped off the branch with Lafeia who was attached to him, following after. They landed with a large splash in the river._

"_Ahhhhh!" Lafeia screamed, jumping to her feet, her soaking silken powder blue dress pulling heavily at her body and hanging sloppily from her small form. Adam watched her, a large foolish grin plastered on his face, she threw him an annoyed glance that sent him into hysterics. "You find that funny Adam Roster? Do you?" She folded her arms huffily and kicked water up onto him, and noticed that her new crème pumps were missing from her feet, she groaned and folded her arms hastily, trying to trap what little warmth she had left. The cold wind blowing over her wet body made her shiver violently. Upon noticing this, Adam stopped laughing and pulled himself to his feet. He grabbed his jacket, which he had earlier swung over another branch of the tree and threw it over her shoulders, protecting her from the cold's wrath._

_He glanced up at the sky, which was now turning a deep shade of indigo, it was getting late and they should be heading back now, he knew that his mother would be getting worried if she had noticed their absence in the house._

"_We should be heading back now." He told her, pulling her into his embrace and out of the river. As they were walking home, she began to warm up under the strong warm grasp of his arms._

"_Look at my dress! It's completely ruined!" She exclaimed to him, and hearing him laugh quietly she added, "well I'm glad you're happy!" _

"_I am," He stated, his voice now turning serious. "I always am, as long as I'm with you." Lafeia stopped in her tracks and turned to look up at him, noting the seriousness on his face she tried to find something to say but her words choked in her throat. He smiled down at her gently, "You know I love you, right?" he told her so quietly that the wind in the air could have carried it away, but she heard him as she nodded her head and set it firmly against his strong chest, sighing happily as she did so. _

_They continued to walk back to their house, or rather his house, but since she had been staying there for the past few months, she had been told to refer to it as her house too. Adam laid his chin on her head as they walked, feeling in the first time in a few days that a great weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders upon telling her the truth. _

"You never told me…" He said to no one in particular, "you never told me that you loved me. You never returned the favour, ever…" his words were slurred from the alcohol. Alex leant in front of his face suddenly, making him jump in surprise.

"What didn't I tell you?" he asked. Adam shook his head slowly before leaning it back against the rest and closing his eyes, to shut everything out.

* * *

_'Soul meets soul on lover's lips' -- Percy Bysshe Shelly (Yes i know quite pointless and irrelevant to this chapt, but hey, i couldn't find anything else)_

Hey guys... PLEASE tell me what you think... and review.

I think i've rambled on enough for one day hehe, so i'll love ya and leave ya with an excerpt of chapter 6!

* * *

"Alright man! I'm going to see if I can dig up some information off of any of these people, you stay here, and don't drink too much." The Japanese didn't seem to be paying any attention to him although Duo knew that he had heard what he had said. He walked off slowly towards the bar, sitting himself down beside some strangers. 

"Hi honey!" A young woman turned around towards him as he sat down, Duo studied her for a few minutes, she had long blonde hair curled neatly around her shoulders and she wore a dark red dress that clung to her body. She placed a hand upon his arm as he looked at her and she smiled at him as he looked down to where she had placed her hand.

"Where you checking me out?" The girl asked shamelessly. Duo turned his gaze back onto her face.

"Uh no," he replied, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as the girl pressed her legs up against his and smiled at him flirtatiously. "Look, I just wanted to know if you knew anybody who goes by the name of Adam Roster."

"Why yes I do sweetie." _Alright _Duo thought, the first person he asks, and bingo, they are on the trail. "Why do you wanna know?"

* * *

That's all i can give, considering the fact that i haven't even finished writing it yet lol. 

Love ya'll

Allura


	7. A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Start

**Eternally Yours**

**Disclaimer -** Why must i repeat this EVERY time? I do _not_ own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

A/N- Sorry for the slight delay, i got a bit confused about the content of this chapter lol. But all is fixed now (i hope)

burgandy3721 - Hmm, yeah i got a bit lost with the fanfiction server being down, thank god its up again. Ohh really now? I think i can get in, i mean i have got Heero right here, and he expertises in that kind of thing! hehe... Now if only i could get him to co-operate with me. Thanks for the review! And seriously... Rogue...hurry... losing patience... D

Charliechaz - Ohh how i looooovvvee to tease you lol. (dangles a cookie in front of nose) can you catch it? can you catch it? huh? huh? (coughs...okay sorry) Thanks but if you do catch any mistakes (not cookies) please do tell me! Thanks for the review... (pushes Charliechaz who falls) so much for your kung-fu pose hehe...(joking!)

Chibi Horsewoman - Lol, ah well, from what i hear, laziness can be a virtue, but only sometimes! lol, tis may be a stupid question but what do you mean by ADD? (sorry) Thanks for the review.

**Chapter 6: A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Start.**

Pulling up to the docks, Heero swerved the shuttle into the spaceport, landing effortlessly yet with amazing talent, after all he was a gundam pilot. Duo, who was sitting next to him, half-sleeping, had agreed that he would drive them half way there and then the full way back, he had wanted to drive the full journey both ways, but Heero has insisted that he took over the piloting half way there. Duo jerked awake and stirred uneasily as the shuttle came to a halt.

"We here already? I feel as though I only fell asleep." He told Heero as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hn." Answered Heero, not amused, "Come on, we're already falling off the schedule."

"What the? What schedule, you never informed me of any schedule."

"We just need to get searching for her." Duo could feel the pain in his voice as he brought his memories back to the girl that he cared so much for. It had been a week since he had last seen her, arranging this damned trip had taken way too long, and he was getting restless and impatient. Duo could see it in his eyes and he had some first hand experience of his wrath a few times on the shuttle over.

They left the spaceport and blended into the crowds on the streets easily. The colony was strangely busy, there was a disturbing tension and nervousness settled in the air as the people moved from place to place, pretending to keep themselves to themselves, but constantly being aware of their surroundings and everything that was going on around them.

As they passed a bar at the end of a street, Heero trembled barely noticeably on the spot, as thoughts ran through his mind. He wondered whether it would be too risky to slip inside and get rid of a few of the painful thoughts that had been clinging to him lately. Duo watched him amusedly as his mind wondered if he'd dare walk into the bar.

"We should maybe go in here, to see if we can obtain any information from civilians." Heero told him, looking still slightly edgy. Duo had to fight hard to contain himself from laughing; _this is the pathetic excuse that he's coming up with to convince himself to get a drink?_

"Okay Heero, that's a good idea." Duo told him, his eyes glinting and giving away his amusement. He opened the door to the bar, held it open for Heero to enter through, and followed him in a few seconds later.

The bar was dark with a few dull lights spreading a faint glow upon the many small tables that were positioned around the small room. To their right stood a long bar and behind it a tall guy who appeared to be in late fifties. He had greying hair, his eyes were sinking into their sockets and his beer belly was emerging from underneath his stained shirt. Duo realised that this guy must have been the owner of the bar.

In his hand he held a beer mug and a towel which he was using to dry the mug. Placed along the bar there were a few stools, it was on these stools that Heero decided to position himself and nodded to the owner of the bar to come over and serve him. He ordered a drink for himself and looked questioningly towards Duo. Duo looked longingly towards the bar; he wanted a drink so badly. He didn't know why he was so addicted to the damn stuff, but it just seemed to ease his mind at times. He knew this was exactly what Heero wanting to do, and if they were going to get anywhere in this mission, at least one of them needed to stay sober. Duo shook his head and Heero just shrugged towards him.

"Fair enough." He said before turning back to the owner who had already placed his own drink in front of him, he grabbed the mug and made his way over to a table in the back, this table was fairly sheltered from view and Duo knew instantly why Heero chose it, Heero hated having people watch him or know where he was. The table was also isolated from the rest of the room, giving Heero his sought after space and privacy.

Duo sat down, occupying the seat opposite his friend and watching him eye the drink in front of him.

Heero took a drink from his glass as the enjoying the burning sensation of the whiskey sliding down his throat. Why the hell did he get himself involved in this? Why the hell had he taken such a risk by getting himself involved with the girl. Now look where it had gotten them, she had been kidnapped by one of Relena's _boyfriends _and it was all his fault, because he was pretty sure the person who was behind this wouldn't actually want Lafeia, unless it was some perverted old creep looking for some form of entertainment. He shuddered at the thought, and he felt his blood boiling, _they better not hurt her…_

_Why? Would anyone do this?_ He was almost positive this person was after him and the pilots, but really, luring them in by taking bait was just too damn shallow.

"Heero… Heero?" Heero shot his head up to stare at Duo angrily, his cold eyes penetrating into Duo's.

"What?" He asked before signalling to the bartender to bring another drink, the bartender nodded lifelessly and Heero turned his attention back to Duo.

"Are you okay now? You know, you don't have to make lame excuses if you want to get a drink." Duo told him, a smirk playing on his lips. Heero just growled at him and accepted his new drink; he brought the glass back up to his lips. He felt so useless… what could he do now? He couldn't even track her down, _hell; she might not even be on this colony_, but for some reason he felt like he could feel her here, feel her presence and feel her calling for him.

He drained the last of his glass, and again signalled for more, the bartender looked slightly shocked that he had finished the second glass so quickly but nodded his head and walked over with a third glass. Heero felt that the numbing effect wasn't coming quickly enough. He started to knock back his third glass and again began musing to himself, his head slightly bowed down, showing Duo that he was deep in thought, Duo knew all too well that he was beating himself up about what happened to Lafeia.

"Heero it's not your fault…" Duo called out to him, he watched his friend with concern, as he didn't react to what Duo was saying. "Are you listening to me Heero?" Duo prodded his friend on the shoulder hoping to get some sort of reaction, and was startled as Heero raised his head slightly, his eyes catching Duo's, they where slightly unfocused, as he swallowed the remaining contents of his glass. "Hey Heero, watch it, we can't have you having a hangover tomorrow morning…" He had never seen Heero like this, he was obviously greatly disturbed by this whole ordeal.

Heero was trying to drink himself to oblivion, where his mind could be at some sort of ease, he needed release from this constant pain, but unfortunately, for him, oblivion didn't seem to be coming any time soon. His mind drifted back to Lafeia, to all the dreams he had been having of her lately and to all the remembrances of the time, they had shared together.

"Alright man! I'm going to see if I can dig up some information off any of these people, you stay here, don't drink too much." The Japanese man didn't seem to be paying any attention to him, although Duo knew that he had heard what he had said. He walked off slowly towards the bar, sitting himself down beside some strangers.

"Hi honey! Whoa, you are _so_ fine." A young woman turned around towards him as he sat down, Duo studied her for a few minutes, she had long blonde hair curled neatly around her shoulders and she wore a dark red dress that clung to her body. She smiled and placed a hand upon his arm. Duo glanced down to where her hand lay, staring at it awkwardly, not knowing quite what to say.

"Were you checking me out?" The girl asked shamelessly. Duo turned his gaze back onto her face.

"Uh no," he replied, his eyebrows furrowed slightly as the girl pressed her legs up against his and smiled at him flirtatiously. "Look, I just wanted to know if you knew anybody who goes by the name of Adam Roster."

"Why yes I do sweetie." _Alright _Duo thought, the first person he asks, and bingo, they're on the trail. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Uh…" Duo said, quickly trying to think of a cover up story, "Business matters." _That was all I could come up with, aww damn Duo, you're losing you're touch._ Awk well, he hated lying anyway, but that was a white lie, and hey, it _was_ compulsory. The woman stared at him curiously, as if analysing him. "Do you happen to know where he is?" This seemed to snatch her from her reverie.

"Umm no sorry, he left this colony about three years ago, the damned boy never told any of us where he was going. But his family still live here, up on Burchfield Avenue honey." She smiled at him and he returned her smile.

"Thanks lady." Had this been on normal circumstances, Duo would have flirted crazily with the young woman, she was damn hot! However, he had Hilde, and that was enough for him. _Damn, so he's not on the colony. Heero's going to freak, and at me!_

Heero was still deep in thought as Duo came back to him, Duo also noticed that there were now several more empty mugs placed on the table, He sighed, and shook the shoulder of his seemingly vacant friend. Heero looked up at him, trying to focus on him, but his eyes were blurry disabling his normally sharp vision.

"She knew… Duo she knew that this was going to happen. I don't know how she knew…" His voice was slurred due to the large amounts of alcohol he had just consumed, but Duo could make out what he was saying.

"Lafeia knew? Is this what you were saying earlier on the shuttle?" Duo glanced down at his watch and noted that it was now already a quarter to eleven. Heero nodded his head in reply to his question.

"She told me the other night, she came into my room and she was real messed up, shaking really badly and stuff…" Heero wasn't talking with his usual calm and serious manner; he was now rambling, trying to fit all of his memories into one sentence. "It must have been a premonition of what was going to happen or something. It's all my fault, if I had listened to her, just took heat of what she was saying or been a little more precautious, she should have never left the hall alone." Duo sighed once again, watching his friend before he grabbed his arm hastily.

"Come on buddy, we gotta leave. It's late and we have yet again another early start tomorrow." _Heero isn't usually like this when he's drunk, he normally goes completely silent, and shuts himself off from the real world._ He walked over to the bar and handed the bartender the money that Heero owed him for the drinks. He was going to have to make Heero pay him back tomorrow.

Once they where back out onto the streets, Duo looked around for the nearest hotel, he spotted one, not far from there and made his way towards it, with Heero's arm slung over his shoulder. _Man, we must be such a sight_. Heero had gone completely silent now, and Duo wondered briefly whether he was still conscious. Heero suddenly went stiff, and stopped moving his feet, halting both Duo and him in their tracks.

"The claw, the red claw…" Heero muttered, mainly to himself.

"What?" Duo turned his head slightly so he could study his friend who now seemed completely aware and alert, it almost seemed as though he hadn't been drunk at all, although he was still a little shaky on his legs.

"She said something about the red claw… remember that for me will you Duo?"

"Okay man."

They arrived shortly at the hotel and Duo booked a room for the two of them, with separate beds, he had to state this clearly to the receptionist, as she seemed to think they wanted a double bed.

As soon as they walked into their room he noticed that it was more like an apartment, and _thank God_, there were two bedrooms. Duo started moving through the large apartment, exploring the rooms.

As soon as they neared the bathroom, Heero threw himself into it and Duo shuddered as he heard the violent retching sounds from the next room. Sighing and walking around, Duo examined every room in close detail. He was in one of the bedrooms, closest to the bathroom when Heero walked in, swaying slightly on his feet and collapsed on the bed, closing his eyes and preparing himself for a long sleep. Duo gazed at the Japanese man and walked over to stand next to the bed. _Well it looks like he's already chosen which room he wants._

"What?" Heero asked him, all the slurring had been removed from his voice, and he now seemed to sobering up although his voice still sounded a little dry, the dehydration must be settling in. _Man he's up for one major hangover in the morning. _He could already tell that Heero was suffering pain from the after-effects of the alcohol, but to Heero, it was nothing, he had experienced hell and had not complained once about it.

"Adam's not on this colony Heero." Duo told his friend solemnly whilst walking out towards the kitchen. Heero's eyes snapped open and he watched as Duo came back into the room with a glass of water in his hand. Heero gladly accepted the glass and was about to down the whole thing when Duo stopped him.

"Take small sips Heero, it'll do no good if you down the whole glass at once." Heero glared at him before hesitantly turning back to the glass and taking small sips. "I was talking to some girl who knows him; she says he left here about three years ago." He watched his friends eyes fade out, almost as if losing any hope.

"It's not possible. She's here Duo, I know she is. I can feel her presence here somewhere." Heero told him, his eyes fixated on the water in front of him, he suddenly lifted the glass up to his lips and downed the rest of it.

"Are you crazy?" Duo asked him, not even noticing that Heero had ignored him and downed the glass of water anyway. Heero glared at him and he sighed. "Okay, well the guy's family still lives around here somewhere… Burchfield Avenue I think it was. We should check it out tomorrow, but for now, you gotta get some rest, and let that alcohol work its way out of your system." He noticed the empty glass in Heero's hand and frowned at his friend before leaving the room.

Heero sat up on his bed, clutching his head to try to stop it from spinning, and made his way over to his laptop, which Duo had placed the desk. _Burchfield Avenue… Now all we need is a map._

-8-

Duo walked into his own room and dropped down on the bed, pulling his vidphone out of his bag he opened it up and dialled a number he knew only too well. After a few seconds, Hilde's weary face appeared on the screen.

"Duo… it's half two, why didn't you call me earlier?" she asked him groggily.

"Sorry babe, were you asleep?" he studied her face; she didn't look as though she had been sleeping.

"No," Hilde answered looking slightly flustered when Duo grinned at her, "but it's still late."

"Well I just thought I'd check up on ya, see how things are back home."

"Duo you've only been gone a day." _She sounds slightly irritated_ Duo mused.

"I just wanted to call you to make sure things are okay. Because I'm worried, Hil, there's a lot of dangerous things happening at the minute, these guys could be anywhere, there could be a lot of them, heck there could be millions of them posted around the base at the minute. I'm worried for your wellbeing Hilde, is that really such a crime!" _Oops, I hadn't meant to let that all out, so much for calm and collected. _An awkward silence fell across the both of them, as they simply just stared at each other through their screens. Hilde was the one to break the silence.

"I'm sorry Duo, I've just had a lot of work and stress lately, and I guess it's making me slightly cranky." _Slightly? Hell, I can't wait to see you fully cranky. I have got to call up Quatre and make him relieve Hilde of some of that work. _"Duo!"

"Huh? You say something babe?"

"Never mind, you were just in a daze again."

"Oh sorry."

"Hmm. So how is it going over there?" Duo sighed at her question, what should he tell her, 'Oh yeah everything is grand!' and make up some pathetic story to cover the night's events, or the truth, 'Yeah, well Heero's got a slight drinking problem, he's trying to drown away all of his problems, and is now lying completely battered and out of it in the next room.' He decided to go with the second option, hey, he was telling the truth, and that's what matters, right?

"Oh Seriously? You have got to be joking, Heero? Act like that; act so… I don't know whether I'm using the right words, but well normal?" Hilde choked down the phone.

Normal was one way of putting it, any _normal _guy would do something like that if the… well love of his life, was stolen from him so suddenly, any _normal_ guy would not just lock it up in a bottle and shove it to the back of his mind, like Heero so often does. Any _normal_ guy would do just what Heero has done. But that is the thing. Heero is anything but normal, normal is not a word anyone would ever dream of using when describing the stoic, young, expressionless boy. In Heero's situation what he was doing was not normal, it was the opposite, it was irregular, abnormal, uncharacteristic, anomalous and deviant, and this _wasn't_ Heero.

"Do you think there's something wrong with him?" Duo looked at her throwing her a glare that screamed, 'are you joking me?' "No," Hilde corrected herself, " I know there's something wrong with him, but you know, why all of this all of a sudden, he's been through a lot more harsher and distressing times than this, why break down that strong barrier he has always held onto now?"

Duo didn't know the answer to that question. He didn't know why Heero had suddenly and dramatically changed his ways of dealing with serious situations. What he did know however, was that Heero was seriously falling for that girl. Hopefully, just hopefully, she wouldn't be his downfall.

"I honestly don't know. Anyway, the reason that I called you was to tell you that we might have a lead. Supposedly Adam used to live on this colony, we are going up to 'visit' his house in the morning."

"That's great, just give me the address and I'll do what I can to fish up some information on him. I'll then email the information tomorrow morning to Heero's laptop."

"Okay. Burchfield Avenue, Adam Roster, try to figure out which number his house is, so we're not going on a scavenger hunt. As much fun as that seems, I doubt that we'll have the time."

Hilde giggled at his joke, and smiling sleepily, she jotted down the address and scrawled Adam's name above it.

"Okay, I'll call the offices now and get something drawn up. But I will have do this right now because I'm really tired and I need my beauty sleep."

"Heh. Yeah I can tell." Duo commented, getting ready to duck, but then he realised that she wasn't there so he simply grinned back at the scowling face on the screen. "Night babe. Love ya!"

"Goodnight Duo." Hilde said, rather frostily, but she cracked a grin just before logging off.

_Heh, right now, let's go see what Heero's up to, _Duo thought.

-8-

"So what is the plan, guys?" Quatre asked as he set himself down on a seat opposite Trowa and Wufei. No one decided to answer the question; they sat staring at each other waiting for another to come up with an applicable plan of action.

"Well unless Heero and Duo find any information on what is going on, then I guess there's shit all we can do at the moment." Wufei and Quatre both turned to stare in astonishment at Trowa who had for once decided to voice his thoughts, and not only that but use expletives. Trowa coughed uneasily. Not that he was uneasy around his fellow comrades; just that he felt uneasy sitting there as they gawked at him in surprise.

"Trowa is right. There is nothing we can do until then," Quatre agreed, breaking the awkwardness in the conversation, "But what if they do find out some important or relevant information, say they stumble across a base, what are we to do then?"

"I guess we have no choice but to go after them and assist them." Wufei kept himself calm and collected throughout his thoughts, however inside he was grateful that he was getting to do something constructive for once, when was the last time he had left the country on a mission… too long ago.

"Go after them…" Quatre mused aloud. "Are you sure that's the best thing to do? I mean, I am pretty sure that Heero and Duo are perfectly capable of maintaining the situation themselves, as they have been able to do, numerous times."

"I think we should leave it up to them." Trowa's friends once again turned around to stare at him. _I wish they would stop doing that. It's beginning to get extremely frustrating, so what? I talk…_ "I mean to contact us if they are in need of our assistance." Both Quatre and Wufei nodded their heads in agreement.

"So how do you think they are—" Quatre started but he interrupted by the sound of the door behind them opening and closing shut with a loud slam. All three pilots spun around to establish who their new visitor was.

"Right! I have heard rumours of a new group, which could apparently be a threat to the peace and many civilisations. Is this true?" Milliardo asked as he set himself down beside the pilots. The pilots sat for a moment, stunned and confused as to what Milliardo was doing exactly. Milliardo glared at them and widened his eyes and added "Well?..."

"That would be correct Zech- uh I mean Milliardo." Quatre stated.

"Well what are we doing about it?" Milliardo growled in response, his light eyes glittering as his anger rose.

"Heero and Duo are out investigating the colony on which these rumours may have been hinting towards."

"I see. And have they found anything."

"Unfortunately, not yet, but they only left this morning Milliardo, you cannot possibly expect them—" Quatre was again rudely cut off.

"This is Heero Yuy we are talking about. And you are telling me Heero has not come up with anything so far?"

"No. He hasn't contacted us yet."

"Very well, when he does contact us I would like a full report of his message replayed to me immediately." And with that said, Milliardo walked out of the room, his long silvery blond hair swaying behind him.

The pilots followed him soon after, all departing in their separate directions after deciding there was nothing more to do until they were contacted.

Quatre watched as Trowa and Wufei walked away. He sighed deeply and turned in the opposite direction to his room.

-8-

"Relena please let me in…" He continued tapping at her door hoping that the sound would irritate her and that she would finally open the door for him.

"No. Go away." Relena answered stubbornly.

"Relena…" His voice softened and he stopped rapping his knuckles against the polished wood. "This isn't like you at all…"

"Quatre please… just leave me alone, I need to be alone right now."

"Relena you're upset. Let me help? Please?"

"No." She answered stubbornly, her voice worn slightly. "I thought I told you to go away."

"Relena. Please let me in." his voice was firmer and more dominating. After waiting for a few more minutes in silence, Quatre sighed and was about to turn away when he heard the lock on her door click and the sound of the door opening slowly. Quatre stepped inside the room without any reluctance and stole a brief look at Relena. Her face was pale and tired and her eyes were red and puffy, obviously from a lot of crying. He let out a sigh and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Uh… Quatre, I can't breathe…" Relena choked. Quatre let go of her instantly but still held her at arms length, she laughed unsteadily and Quatre's concerned, anxious expression changed to reveal a still slightly concerned smile.

"Are you going to tell me what is wrong, or are you going to make me guess?" He asked her as he closed the door securely and watched her take a seat on the edge of her bed.

She didn't answer him but turned her head away so that she was facing the window and not him. Quatre sighed once again and walked over to her. He got down on his knees so that he was eye level with her and grasped her hands in his, squeezing them tightly to get her attention. She met his gaze again, but her expression stayed the same, emotionless, tired and lifeless, matched only by the same look her eyes gave him.

"It's Heero isn't it?" It wasn't as much of a question as it was a statement. Relena looked down at him confusedly.

"How… how did you…" she squeaked. Quatre smiled.

"You may keep these sorts of feelings towards a certain friend of mine a secret from the world, but you can't keep something like that a secret form the prying eyes of Quatre Raberba Winner." His smile faded gradually as he waited for some sort of response from her, to lead him to what was going on inside her head.

However, no response came.

"Relena…" he whispered softly, "please let me help, tell me what's happening." Relena sighed and glared deeply into his soft light blue eyes.

"I always thought that I loved him… I always _knew _that I loved him…" She pulled her gaze away from him and tried hard to fight back the tears that were threatening to overflow from her eyelids. Quatre moved slightly closer to her, urging her to continue.

"It was just so hard to understand what was happening at the time, I mean I was only fifteen at the time. I didn't know what was going on… I thought it was a teenage crush that would fade away with time…But it didn't, my feelings for him only grew stronger and stronger the more often I was around him. I became fully aware that I was in love with him… and I couldn't go on without letting him know…" She sighed heavily.

Strangely, telling Quatre her worries wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, it was actually quite relieving. "… So I told him what I felt, it was stupid, I realise that I shouldn't have told him, because he didn't reciprocate those feelings. In fact he just pushed himself away…" Quatre nodded to what she was saying, taking all of the information in. He already knew most of it, but he could see that his listening to her was helping, and after all that _was_ what he was there for, to help her. All of the pilots had known that there had been something between Relena and Heero, some kind of frisson, but nobody had understood exactly what had been happening.

"…He just left me, in the room alone… just disappeared, off into the night, and I never seen him again until… well my party…" she lost all control of herself and burst into tears in front of Quatre, 'Great now he probably thinks that I am such a weirdo' she thought.

Quatre pulled her into another deep embrace, wrapping his arms around her gently and running his hands up and down her back, soothing her softly.

Relena was surprised that she was still able to cry so much after all the crying that she had done in the past few days. She had thought that she had used up all of her tears, but apparently not.

"You deserve better then Relena. Someone who will love you back. Heero isn't too good at the commitment thing; he doesn't care too much for anything that could tie him down." As soon as he had said that he immediately wished that he could take it back, he knew that Relena was now going to question him about Lafeia.

"But what about Lafeia, he seems pretty 'chummy' with her." she said in a bitter, mocking tone. '_Oh my_…' Quatre thought, '_how am I to get myself out of this one_?'

"Well I don't exactly know what's going on between them, you know Heero, the man of secrecy that he is." He coughed awkwardly and glanced at his watch.

"Look Relena, if it's going to be that much of a problem for you," Quatre sighed deeply, "You don't have to be involved in this whole affair anymore. Okay?"

Relena looked up at him gratefully; suddenly feeling like a whole weight had been lifted of her shoulders. "No." She frowned again. "I refuse to give in, for now anyway. I have to be strong, for everyone else."

Quatre suddenly pulled her into a hug. "That's more like the Lena I know." He let go of her, holding her at arms length.

"Don't let him get to you, okay? He doesn't mean to hurt you, he really doesn't." He then stood up, straightening out his suit. "Are you okay for now? I have a meeting to attend in half an hour and I mustn't be late."

"Yeah Quatre, thanks for your help."

"No problem Relena. Just you know… contact me if you ever need to speak to someone. I'll be there for you, always." And with that said he left Relena, sitting on her bed, her thoughts and memories still haunting her.

Within a few minutes, her vidphone started ringing on her dressing table. Relena wiped her eyes with a tissue, removing any excess mascara that had smudged under eyes during her brief lamentation and walked over to the dresser, glancing quickly at her appearance and hoping that no one too important was calling.

She flicked up the screen and was soon staring into a pair of tired dark blue eyes.

"Why Hilde. It's nice to see you again." Relena greeted her friend.

"As for you Relena." Hilde paused, seemingly to observe her friend from the other screen. "Have you been crying, you're eyes are all puffy." Relena, self-consciously touched her lids under her eyes, feeling for any signs of swollenness.

"No. It's just my allergies." She answered.

"Allergies? I didn't know you had any aller-" Hilde started.

"Hilde." Relena interrupted in a warning voice. "I'm rather tired, would you mind just telling me what you called to tell me, please." Hilde sighed, somewhat reluctant to give in to her friend.

"Okay then. Well we have a few leads on the kidnappers, could you call the guys and ask them to work up some information on the Roster household on Burchfield Avenue on the colony L4?"

"Yes sure, is that all?"

"Yes, but Relena, before you go, remember you can talk to me anytime okay?" Hilde stared at her anxiously.

"Thank you Hilde. But I _am_ fine, _really_, now go and get some rest, you look like you've just risen from the dead." Relena commented, chuckling slightly. Hilde scoffed at her comment.

"Do I really look that bad...? First Duo then you…" She mumbled something incoherent.

"I'm only kidding you Hilde, and knowing Duo, he is too. You just look tired, that's all. I'll see you soon, goodbye."

"Cya Lena."

-8-

Relena hastily made her way down to where the pilots were staying. The sooner she gave them the address, the sooner she could get back to her own room to sleep. Making it to Trowa's door, she knocked lightly, knowing that he had good hearing and could hear it anyway.

"Relena." Trowa greeted as he opened his door.

"Trowa, are you busy?"

* * *

_'Falling in love consists merely in uncorking the imagination and bottling the common sense.' --Helen Rowland_

So whaddya think?

Please review or you don't get the next chapter! muahahahaha(and yes there are more cookies if you wish lol)

Love ya'll

Allura


	8. Fatal Disasters

**Eternally Yours**

Disclaimer: Yup, you got it, this gal does NOT own Gundam Wing.

A/N - Sorry guys! I'm so sorry this took so long, i guess i got caught up in exams and stuff, but here it is at long last. Yes it is considerably shorter than the last ones, by about five pages lol, but yeah, it's here and that's what counts.

burgandy3721 - Thanks so much for the review, Yeah, i liked Trowa in the last one too lol, his whole, 'So what? i talk...' part i really _had_ to stick in there lol. Yeah well... Lafeia is kind of preoccupied at themin to talk to Jade, you'll see what i mean in this chapter! hehe (laughs evilly! Joking! i care honestly)

Chibihorsewoman - Thanks for the review, and for enlightening me upon the meaning of that lol. I hope i'm still keeping you interested.

KraZeeLilMee - Oh, how was Las Vegas? hope you had a good time and i hope you get better soon, your hand that is. Also, i am truly sorry about the delay, but here it is! (smiles) Thanks for the review hun!

charlie00 - (hands charlie a cookie) That is for your efforts my friend, anyways, yeah i would say to laugh at Heero, then run for all that your life is worth lol. Thanks for the review, hope you enjoy this chapter. (p.s. your story is good!)

Saphira - Lol, me neither, but it was worth it lol. Thanks for the review!

Leiko Hikaru - Thanks so much for the reviews and i hope you're up to date right now for this chappie lol! I'm so glad that you like it.

River rain - Yes umm... thanks for the compliment and reviewing even though you're not too fussed on the OC.

hidelover - Thanks very much for the review, and no worries, i'm just glad that you read, enjoyed and reviewed!

**Chapter seven: Fatal disasters**

Lafeia sighed, for what seemed like the millionth time since she had arrived there. It was so depressing, thinking that she had just given her whole life away, even if it was for a good cause, such as the peace of the earth and the colonies.

But she was only eighteen and at eighteen she shouldn't have had to devote her life to imprisonment, she should be out doing what regular teenagers do, partying, dating, having fun and just plain living.

She felt trapped, like a rat in a cage or a wild bird in confinement. She was locked inside a room, and she was sure that she was not going to get out anytime soon. There were no windows, and all she had was a door, which was bolted shut and heavily guarded from the other side.

_Stupid guards, if I wasn't so damned weak I could fight them all off and get out of here. But that would be stupid, after all, I'm in here for a reason, I'm preventing the peace from being shattered._

She coughed violently, her whole abdomen seemed to heave up and her lungs wanted to give in and stop working. The pain surged through her body like electricity, stinging every inch of her body and hammering in her head.

Clutching at her throat, she grasped her hand around her larynx to ease the throbbing ache, but this only made it worse. Lafeia doubled over, and with her other hand, covered her mouth. Heaving and coughing she hastily made her way towards the bathroom and threw her head over the toilet seat. As she coughed up everything that she had eaten that day, she faintly noticed the blood that stained the inside of her hands, her eyes widened with shock as she glanced back down into the basin. The whole rim was crimson red and her blood was diffusing with the water in the bowl. Lafeia turned her head away, not being able to look at the sight any longer. Blood she could deal with, but when it came in large quantities from her body, she couldn't even endure the thought of it.

Wiping away the residue blood that stained her lips, she walked over to the mirror and as she glared at her reflection, she was disgusted at what she saw. Her face was pale and gaunt, her eyes were dead and dull and her hair was plastered to her face, lifelessly. The bags under her eyes had become saggy and the skin around her eyes seemed to be sinking into the sockets. Lafeia shuddered and turned away, starting to make her way into the bedroom.

She had only made it to the doorway before her head started playing its little tricks again.

'No, no not again-' she leant heavily against the doorframe, breathing in and out deeply, and waiting for the pain to die down again. Her face flushed hot and she felt scorching flames dance through her body, her pulse quickened to a dangerously fast pace and she swayed unsteadily on the spot as an excruciating pain thrashed inside her skull. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage noisily, and along with the pain in her head, her mind decided it had had enough and tried to black out to ease the pain.

'No.' She fought against the blackness that tried to overwhelm her and staggered towards her bed. The room was spinning uncontrollably and there was a deafening ringing in her ears, which synchronised with the throbbing ache in her body, she took one last step before her body gave way to the darkness, and she fell to the ground, out cold before she collided with the soft-carpeted surface.

-8-

Adam groaned as he awoke from his nightmarish dream, he sat up quickly and afterwards realised that it wasn't the best idea. He clutched his head with his hands, digging his fingers into the temples and massaging them roughly.

His body felt weak and his muscles ached as he tried to move. His falling asleep on the couch probably wasn't the best thing for him either.

Alex suddenly appeared in front of him with a large beaker of water.

"How are you? You drank a hell of a lot last night. Hah, I bet you're suffering for it now." Adam wanted to reach up and wipe the smirk of his friend's face, with a blow to his stomach, but he couldn't find the energy.

"I'm fi-" his voice gave out before he had a chance to finish his sentence, he tried clearing his throat, but it was parched and dry. Alex shoved the beaker of water into his hand.

"Drink," he ordered. Adam downed the beaker in a few seconds and thrust it back into Alex's hands; he then collapsed back down onto the sofa, a light layer of perspiration forming on his forehead. Alex sighed, and walked into the bathroom to find him a facecloth. He came back, throwing the dampened cloth onto Adam's head and closed the curtains, shielding Adam from the light that was most likely burning his sensitive eyes.

"Oh man, the things I get myself into." Alex complained as he sunk down into the soft chair opposite his friend.

Adam suddenly stood up, still clasping his head in his hands and leaving the facecloth to fall onto the sofa. He sauntered into the kitchen and once there he scoured through the cupboards, searching everywhere for some form of painkillers. He found a packet of aspirins at the back of one of the cupboards and downed two with a glass of water.

He wandered back into the living room, still slightly unsteady on his legs and collapsed once again on the sofa, occupying his still warm spot and pulling the facecloth back onto his head.

After closing his eyes again, a guilty feeling washed over him and he suddenly remembered what had happened the day before. Everything he had tried to drown out of his system came back to him, bringing with it a flood of mixed emotions that were ten times stronger than they had been.

He sighed, running a hand through his dark blonde hair and sat up. He could still feel Alex's prying eyes scanning over him, as if fearing that he was going to drop dead any second.

"Alex?" He asked his voice was deep and husky from lack of use.

"Yes Adam?" Alex answered, relaxing now that Adam was talking again.

"Do you know what Michael is up to?" Adam asked him, his features displaying concern and anxiety.

"Sorry what?" Alex frowned at him, not understanding the question.

"Do you know what he has planned? What he's going to do with Lafeia?"

"Who?" Alex asked, still bewildered.

"Lafeia, the girl that we kidnapped, you know…_ the_ girl." Adam told his friend, becoming slightly frustrated. Sometimes he wondered how his friend had attained such a high IQ; he seemed so dozy most of the time.

"Oh-" Alex said, his eyebrows raising in comprehension, "_your_ girl."

"No," Adam snapped back at him, "she's not _my_ girl, but I think you know which one I'm talking about. Has Michael let you in on any of his plans? He won't tell me anything, he seems to think that my connections to her will hinder my capability of completing the task appropriately."

"Nah man, sorry, I don't actually think he's told anyone his plans. You know Michael, better than any of us actually, he likes his privacy, and if he hasn't told you, he won't tell anyone." Alex suspiciously eyed his friend, who was now staring distractedly at his feet.

"Well have you got any idea whatsoever? I… I really need to know." Adam didn't look up at his friend, knowing that if his eyes came into contact with his, his friend would know everything that he didn't want him to.

"I have a suspicion if that's any use to you?" Adam's gaze nearly met his friend's as he tried to look up in anticipation, but he caught himself before he could do anything stupid.

"Yeah, what have you got?" He asked

"I was thinking that he's probably planning on something like this colony's seclusion from the others and breaking out of the ESUN and colonies peace pact. And maybe-" he grimaced and then shook his head, discarding his train of thoughts, "never mind, it's stupid. It was just another one of my ludicrous train of thoughts."

This time Adam's head managed to shoot up in curiosity, his own gaze meeting his friend's. He knew of these 'ludicrous train of thoughts' and they usually ended up being extremely close to the truth.

"No, go on, I'm interested."

"It's just a hunch, but I feel that this whole affair may have something to do with the gundam pilots." Alex shrugged and turned his gaze back to the mug of coffee that he held in his hands, swirling the dark brown liquid around at the bottom of the cup.

Adam's eyebrows furrowed in contemplation_. Could the pilots possibly be involved in this situation and if so why? Besides, what has this to do with Lafeia…? _

"Right okay, so you think the Gundam pilots are involved in this plot?" Alex nodded his head solemnly.

"I guess he thinks that holding them hostage may gain him the upper hand in this situation. I mean the Gundam pilots _are_ the ones who pulled the whole peace thing together and maybe they could be the key to pulling it apart. He could be thinking of bargaining with the earth. Like, if this colony were to be freed from the agreement, they would get the pilots back. But I dunno, it's kind of foolish of you ask me, so many things could go wrong." An awkward silence settled between them as they both considered the idea.

"What has this to do with Lafeia though? How is holding her hostage going to get him anywhere? He needs to find someone important to the Gundam pilots.

"Maybe she has a connection to them," Alex answered, voicing his own thoughts.

"I don't know, but for some reason, I doubt it, she's just a girl, how could she know the famous Gundam pilots?" _And why would she want to?_

Alex sighed, knowing that this conversation wasn't getting them anywhere.

"Why are you so inquisitive to all of this anyway? You've never questioned Michael's plans before; I thought that you trusted him."

"I just… I was just wondering." Adam answered and becoming agitated he stood up and started towards the door. Alex lifted his gaze once he heard him getting up.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked enquiringly.

"To find Michael, I need answers." Adam, picking up his pace, left the room and headed down the corridors to his boss's room.

"Uh oh," Alex jumped up and jolted out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him in his haste and sprinted down the corridor after his friend.

-8-

Michael was sitting silently in his office, sorting through paper work and trying not to let his guilt overflow his mind.

He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he had to do this, there was not other way, and yes, he was stealing the life of an innocent youth, but he was willing to sacrifice his dignity for the mission. It was_ all_ for the mission.

He looked up from his work when he heard the door open and found that he was facing a rather flustered Adam Roster.

"Adam, why it's nice to see you again so soon, after all I thought you would be still sore at me from what happened yesterday, but you and I both know that I did what I had to do. We cannot have any interference." He said politely. Adam didn't speak, he just stood in front of his desk, glaring down at him coldly.

"To what do I owe this visit?"

"Are you going to tell me what your plan is? Or are you going to leave me in the dark because you don't trust me?" Adam asked him, his voice just as cold as his glare.

"Adam you know that's not the case, I just-"

"That is the case! And I know it, so don't lie to me or make up any lame excuses," Adam interrupted, "I thought that we were close enough for you to trust me with something like this, no?"

"Adam!" Alex cried as he entered the room, having only caught up to his somewhat stubborn friend. He walked over to him quickly, and grabbing his elbow, attempted to remove him from the room. However, Adam tugged away from his grasp, not turning to face him, but still glaring at Michael for an answer.

"Adam, please, you have to see this from my point of view, you're not thinking with an open mind right now." Michael told him, beginning to grow worried at Adam's irrational behaviour; he hadn't ever acted like this before.

"I'm not thinking with an open mind? Hah! Yes, I am… I know exactly why you're not telling anybody… You don't trust anyone-" Alex tugged his friend away from the desk and at this, Adam spun around, now glaring at Alex. "What are you doing? Don't you want to find out what's happening?" He asked in an angry whisper.

"I'm saving your ass. The only thing you're doing right now is getting us both fired, you idiot, you're not going to find out what's happening with that attitude." Alex replied, also keeping voice down.

Michael glared over suspiciously, at the two men, who were whispering fiercely to one another. After a while, Alex turned towards him, his mouth pulled into an apologetic smile.

"Sorry sir, I guess he just took a little too many painkillers, they must be clouding his mind and preventing him from thinking properly. I'll take him back to his room now."

Alex grabbed his friends arm firmly, holding it a little tighter than necessary, but with Adam, you could never predict his next moves. Just as they were about to walk out the door, Adam spun around to Michael and shrugged his friends arm away.

"Where is she?" Adam called. He knew that he didn't need to be specific as to who 'she' was, as Michael would undoubtedly already know. Michael sighed, and lifted his head from his paperwork again. He stared into Adam's eyes, which were hazed with a deep concern.

"I moved her, she's not in her old cell anymore," He told him reluctantly, "she's on the underground floor, the second corridor, room number two."

Adam turned on his heel, ready to leave the room when Michael called after him again.

"Roster," Adam froze, they were back to formalities again, "She is NOT to leave the room, and that's an order!" Adam nodded his head and left the room.

Alex was waiting patiently for him in the corridor, curiosity apparent on his face.

"What happened in there?" He asked.

"Nothing," Adam told him, brushing off the topic, "Look, I'm going to go check up on Lafeia and I don't want you to come, could you just go back to my room?"

Alex looked very uncertain and was hesitant to leave him on his own. He was told to keep an eye on him, and he didn't like disobeying his orders.

"I don't know Adam, I think I'll just tag alo-" He gulped as he met Adam's perilous glare. "Okay, but just don't do anything… stupid, ok?"

Adam threw him a look that screamed, 'are you serious?' before turning on his heel and walking briskly down the long corridor.

Alex sighed, regretful that he had let him go so easily, he contemplated following him, but decided that he would like to keep his life and walked back to Adam's room.

-8-

Adam raced down two flights of stairs, taking three steps at a time. Something in his head was telling him that he needed to get to her quickly; something just didn't feel quite right.

Once he reached the last few stairs, he jumped, landing heavily on his feet and darted down the corridor, whilst trying to jog his memory to remember where exactly, room number two was situated. He came to a division in the corridors, and stopped, glancing down each one, his instincts were telling him to turn right, whilst his memory was telling him to turn left. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and decided on sticking with his instincts, briefly hoping that they would take him to the right place.

He ran to the right, his heavy military boots thundering quite loudly through the corridors and echoing off the desolate walls.

After a while, he came to a faded, dull and worn out door, which was rotting in places due to the dampness seeping through the walls from the soil, which was now surrounding them. Standing beside the door, were two well-built guards, Michael obviously hadn't underestimated the power of the girl that he was dealing with.

After the guards had unlocked the door, they nodded to him, allowing him to enter. He placed his hand on the doorknob and inhaled, trying to gain his composure, before twisting it.

A sweet yet musty scent reached his nose as he inhaled the new air. He recognised the sweet scent; he had always associated it with Lafeia, the other mustiness he realised, must have been from the lack of windows and fresh air.

Glancing around, Adam noticed that the girl was not lying on the bed, where he first thought that she would be. Whilst scanning the room further, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He spun around to discover that Lafeia was lying, draped across the floor and unmoving. He rushed over to her and kneeling down beside her, he grabbed her wrist, checking her pulse. Her heart rate was dangerously low and he could tell immediately that she was in critical health. She needed medical attention _now_.

Alarm bells started ringing in his head, hindering all of his rational thoughts. His own heart rate was now extremely fast, and his breathing had quickened considerably, panting and in shock, he leant forward, brushing her hair away from her face and gasping at what he saw.

Crimson blood tainted her deathly pale skin around the edges of her mouth and painted her lips a deep shade of red, making the contrast between her lips and skin even more noticeable. Her hair was messed and tangled into knots, and she had deep dark rings under her eyes.

Adam placed his hands underneath her neck and her legs, and standing up, he cradled her small body in his arms.

"Open the door!" He yelled to the guards outside, they immediately obeyed his orders and he found himself face to face with the burly men. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" He asked them, releasing his pent up anger and stress upon the men standing in front of him, "Were your orders not to guard the girl? That also means making sure that she does not DIE!" The guards exchanged worried glances, and then looked back to him awkwardly.

"Sir, we didn't know that anything was wrong with her." One of the men told him.

"Well, could you not have thought of looking?" Adam growled, "Look, never mind now, just go and inform Michael of what has happened."

The guards stared at him blankly and he sighed, frustrated.

"Inform 'Cromer', now go!" He yelled and the two guards took off down the corridor hurriedly.

Adam stared down at the small figure in his arms and his gaze softened, he could feel and hear her breathing getting shallower by the second; he didn't have much time left before she would leave him… forever. He needed to get her to the infirmary, immediately.

* * *

_"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." --St. Augustine_

Hey all! Thanks very much for reading, and i await in anticipation to see what you thought... and to show me what you thought, you must review!

So please please REVIEW, it shouldn't really take too much effort to hit that little go review button down there and write a few sentences, right? Pleeeeease?

Love ya'll

Allura


	9. Call off the Search

**Eternally Yours**

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam wing or any of the gundam boys, i do own everyone that you do not recognise from the series though!

A/N - I am sooooooooooo sorry guys, I am having so much problems with this fiction because, well it's just getting complictaed and I have this writers block that seems to have settled over this one, so it is becoming very hard to write! But here's the next chapter, it should keep you happy for at least a little while (i hope lol). I know it's not very long, at all, but as i said, I'm struggling with this one, but once the writer's block lifts, i swear the chapters will get longer! Thanks for sticking with me throughout this, i really really appreciate it!

KraZeeLilMee - Thanks very much for the review! I'm so sorry for not updating in like... forever! Glad you're liking the story.

charlie00 - Thanks for the review, lol I LOVE the OC. It rocks! Continue your fic soon!

burgandy3721 - Hey, thanks for th review, I'm glad your thinking that, it means that i'm writing it the way i wanted lol! Sorry for keeping you waiting, and you have to update sometime soon anyways lol.

xSummerRainx - Hey thanks for reading, I'm really glad that you like my story. Sorry about the wait! (smiles)

Saferia - Ah well, you reviewed, that's all that counts lol. Thanks for the review.

Oceanena - Thanks for the review, yeah sorry, this chapter isn't very long, but i stated my reason for that above. Please enjoy!

**Chapter eight: Call Off the Search**

It had all been for nothing. The house was empty… vacant… completely deserted. Heero and Duo walked, side by side, down the driveway towards the car that they had hired that morning.

Trowa had called them early that morning to give them some insignificant details about the house. He hadn't mentioned the fact that nobody was actually living in the house now._ That_ would have been significant.

"Aww man, that was eventful, eh?" Duo said, sarcastically, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Heero was silently fuming. It had been a start to their trail and it had left them at a dead end, once again. He was beginning to lose hope that they would ever find Lafeia.

As he jumped into the car, he slammed the door shut behind him and thrust the keys into the ignition and twisting them quickly.

"Sheesh," Duo said, stepping into the passengers side of the car and closing the door, gently, behind him, "Just 'cause you're mad, doesn't mean that you have to take it out on the car."

"Shut up Maxwell," Heero growled, crashing his foot down onto the accelerator and driving the car forward.

Duo immediately abided by his command. Messing with Heero, especially when he was in one of these moods, was just too damned risky. Instead, he turned on the car radio and began, silently, singing along to one of his favourite tunes.

A buzzing noise soon distracted Duo from his reveries about Hilde's and his wedding day and he jumped, startled by the vibrations, and quickly grabbed his cell phone out of his back pocket.

"Hello?" He asked, in his usual cheerful and friendly tone.

"Maxwell," Trowa's voice droned down the receiver, "I have something that may have some relevance to your mission." Duo's eyes darted quickly over to Heero, who, in between driving, was glancing at him curiously.

"Great, spill it buddy," He answered.

"There is a mysterious power surge coming from the northern regions of the L4 colony. There are no areas referred to on governmental files, saying that there is a building or industry in that area that could withhold and use up so much of the L4's power supply. In addition, there is no registration on any governmental files stating that there is any source of power actually being transferred to that area. Therefore, meaning that whoever is withdrawing energy from the colony's source is doing so illegally."

"Hmm…" Duo said, running ideas through his mind, "I can't think of any explanation for this. You're right, maybe this could give us a lead… we'll check it out."

"Okay, good luck," Trowa answered, before hanging up.

Heero glanced at Duo, inquisitively.

"Well, who was that and what's going on?" He asked.

"Trowa, he had some vital information for us. There's a strange power upsurge coming from the northern regions of this colony. He thinks that we should check it out as it may have a lead to it."

"Hn. Okay, did he tell you where about, exactly, that this upsurge was coming from," Heero asked.

A guilty look was evident on Duo's face and he grinned sheepishly.

"Damn, I forgot to ask-" Duo's cell started beeping again, disrupting their conversation. He picked it up off the dashboard and read the screen, "Oh, look, no matter, Trowa's already sent the map and the source of the upsurge on a .gif file to my cell."

"Great," Heero retorted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Heero stood in the shadows, behind the dark building, his breath hanging in the air and escaping his mouth in small puffs of white clouds. In the dark, the shadows hid him perfectly, hiding his form and strong structure from the prying eyes of unwanted visitors. He had been on this mission to find Lafeia for days without a single lead and it had began to grow frustrating. It had been as though someone was acting against him, predicting his every move, his every thought, and covering everything up until he was lost in another dead-end.

That is, until Trowa had called earlier that day, giving them minor yet important details, and a map of the northern isolated regions of the L4 colony.

So it was that Heero found himself, hidden in the darkness on a cold and blustery night, debating whether to sneak in through the building's 'locked' back entrance or climb through a dimly lit window, left open despite the cold.

He wondered, briefly, why Duo hadn't reported back to him yet on their two-way radio devices. He had, after all, only asked the braided American to perform a small clearance check on the building, and he had been gone approximately twenty minutes now. This was much longer than it should have taken Duo to execute such a simple procedure; Heero knew how fast the – sometimes-lazy – Deathscythe pilot could move.

After a few more minutes of waiting, he decided to use the window. If he used the back entrance, there was bound to be much more security guards guarding that area as it was a predictable area of attack, but if he used the window, he was more likely to attract less attention to himself.

Prying the window, noiselessly, off its hinges, he threw it onto the grass beside him, where he knew it would not shatter and cause the silence to be interrupted. He jumped up, grabbing onto the frame of the window and hauled himself up and into the small gap between the walls.

He landed without a sound, crouched down, one foot on the ground, the other tucked neatly behind him, so that he was leaning ion his knee. As he scanned the area, he placed to hands onto the ground in order to regain his balance and upon finding that there were no obstructions or guards, he moved quickly and competently through the building.

Once out into an open hallway, Heero spied numerous security cameras, which were scanning up and down the halls in search for any intruders.

However, this glitch in his task was no big deal for Heero. Heero looked down the long corridor. There was approximately one camera every four feet; he concentrated carefully, his eyes focused on the first camera. It was emitting a faint – barely noticeable – beam, like the last evening sunrays. The rays scattered in different directions all along the hall, but as long as Heero kept concentrating on each beam, he would make it down the corridor without being caught.

He stepped into and open space beside an area that was pooled by light emitting from a camera in the corner, and carefully using tactics he had been taught long ago, he walked along the small patches of ground that he knew would be in the camera's blind spot. He continued this the whole way along the corridor, until there were no more cameras to be dodged.

'_The security around this place isn't very good, but I suppose, they are in an isolated area and aren't expecting any people to stumble upon here. The have obviously overestimated the ability of their security cameras.'_

The sound of a few voices, only a short distance down the hallway, took him by surprise, they were so close, and yet he hadn't noticed. He glanced rapidly around him, looking for any means of escape from the corridor, but unfortunately, there wasn't any. He had only two options; one was to dart, quickly back down the hall in the direction he had come and into one of the small rooms he had seen earlier, or to stay and fight off the people. Both were very risky and had a great danger of exposing him and his mission.

He decided to stay, and spotting a pipe, meandering along the ceiling of the hall, he was hit with an idea. Grabbing the steel pipe with two hands, he swung himself up, throwing his legs around the pipe too, to hide his body from people looking onwards. Although, it still meant that if one of them happened to look up, they would spot him and have the first chance to attack.

Luckily, for Heero, the two approaching men did not look up, but instead, kept walking, deep in conversation about a prisoner taking ill suddenly, apparently, a rumour they had heard was going around.

"… Yeah, so this prisoner chick is now situated in the west wing infirmary because of some unexpected illness…" A tough, heavily built guard was saying, as they walked along.

"… I heard that it was critical; Lieutenant Roster is hysterical, almost executed the two guys guarding her room…" The other guard, not nearly as big as his partner, responded.

Heero's brain reacted quickly to what they were talking about and he quickly made the connections.

_Lafeia… critical illness? See if they have laid a hand on her…_

He swung down from the pipe without warning and kicked the startled guards with one leg each, rendering both of them unconscious for the time being. He dragged both of their bodies into a closet he had spotted earlier and stuffed them in.

Remembering what the guards had been conversing about, he dashed, after checking the direction on his watch, westwards, in search of Lafeia's infirmary room.

He ran hastily, his heart beating wildly… uncontrollably and dangerously fast in his chest, with his heart screaming in pain, 'please let her be alive'. He dreaded to find out how he would react if he found that the only girl that he had ever truly loved was dead.

He reached an area that smelled strongly of antiseptics and sterilised medical equipment. And noticed that there was only two doors along this corridor. Examining each door carefully, he noticed the faint spillage of light that leaked from under the first door and decided that this room was the room where Lafeia must have been staying.

Adrenaline had quickly been pumping its way through his veins and a small smirk reached his lips at the remembrance of this feeling. He pressed his body up close to the cold wall and moved slowly along it, ever cautious of anyone leaving the room. Upon nearing the door, he pushed his ear up against it and listened carefully. He could hear the constant beating of the heart monitor and the sounds of electricity flowing through the heavy equipment situated around the room. However, there were no signs of conscious life present in the room at this time. Fumbling with his trousers, he found the gun he had hid safely in his belt and drew it out, slipping on the silencer and cocking it quietly. He opened the door and slowly sticking his head in and looking around found that there was, as he had thought, no one conscious in the room. He slipped through, pointing his gun quickly in every direction as he double-checked for any sign of danger. Once again, he didn't find any, and only momentarily wondered why he hadn't encountered anything remotely dangerous so far.

_This is too easy, _he thought, _too easy to be true._ He slipped the gun back into the waistband of his pants, as the room lacked human interference, and cast his eyes back upon the bed he had seen earlier.

Lafeia lay upon a white padded table, fastened down with restraints around her ankles, wrists and waists. IV's tubes and wiring snaked out from her body, each leading to different various machines and equipment. As he moved closer, he could tell see that her skin was deathly pale and lacked the vibrant glow that he had become so accustomed to. Her eyes sunk into her sockets slightly and her hair, lay limply around her face, it's usual bounce and shine was now missing.

He walked straight over to her, brushing a few strands of ebony black hair from her face and traced his hand down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he told her quietly, apologizing for everything that had gone wrong lately int hose two words. He felt that he didn't need to say anything more, he couldn't say anything more. His breath had caught in his throat the minute he had set eyes on her battered body.

He reached out, to remove the wires, tubing and needles from her body, but paused before he did. He didn't know what effect this would have on her, for all he knew, these machines could be the ones keeping her alive, or killing her.

Whilst staring at her, he was startled by the sudden fluttering of her lashes and was soon gazing into distraught, sleepy teal green eyes. A diminutive, almost indistinguishable smile traced the small girl's lips as she looked up at him.

"… Heero? …" She whispered, gruffly, her voice deceased from lack of use.

"Yeah, it's me," he answered her, stooping down further, so that she wouldn't have to strain her weary eyes.

"… I missed you…" She told him, her – now dull – eyes never faltering from his.

Heero felt anger rise up within him, and anger he had been trying to restrain throughout the last few days, having thought that it would disable his clear thoughts and alertness. He knew, right then, that if he saw the person who had done this to her, he would be ready for the kill. Nevertheless, he still remembered his promise, years ago, to Relena, to never kill again, and he fully intended to stick to his promise. However, he was prepared to take this anger out on them.

"Come on; let's get you out of here," he told her, hastily undoing her restraints, and gently pulling the IV's and tubes from her skin.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Duo wasn't, however, having the same good luck as Heero. As soon as he had set foot in the building, numerous guards ambushed him. And they kept coming, seemingly from nowhere, attacking him from the left, right and the centre.

He was beginning to grow tired, he had been fighting them off for just about twenty-five minutes now, and still, countless attackers grabbed him, hammering him into the walls, pounding him with their gigantic fists and exhausting his fighting strategy. It seemed, almost, as though someone knew his every next move, and eliminated any of chance of him escaping. It was all too weird for him.

After receiving a violent blow to the chest, he stumbled backwards, knocking against a wall, so hard, that the security camera on the wall shook, setting off a wailing siren, which sounded throughout the whole building. Duo looked quickly towards the guards that were approaching him hastily, they had him cornered and against a wall. He was, as he saw it, doomed.

Suddenly a voice started shouting angrily down the radios of each guard in view.

"What is going on?" A man's deep voice boomed. "I thought that you said that you had this all under control, I thought that I could trust you guys,"

"But sir-" one of the guards had grabbed his radio device and was now talking into it, "we have it under control now,"

"Good, replied the voice. Catch the intruder and eliminate all obstacles."

"Yes sir."

The guards looked at him, menacingly.

_Eliminate? Me? I don't think so. _

Duo jumped up, kneeing the closest guard in the crotch, and dived towards the window he had entered through. There was only one guard blocking it.

_Easy as pie, _Duo scoffed, knocking the tall man to the ground.

"Have a nice day!" He called to his opponents behind him before jumping out of the window and landing gracefully, crouched down on the dewy grass below. He just hoped that Heero had gotten to Lafeia in that time.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Heero froze as the siren sounded throughout the building and Lafeia shuddered, a fearful look evident upon her face.

"Shit, we've got to get out of here, quickly," Heero told the young raven-haired girl, and after noticing the fear register in her teal eyes, he quickly leant down, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair tenderly, "Damn, I missed you," he whispered quietly.

Lafeia, smiling, pecked him quickly on the lips and answered, hoarsely, "I missed you too."

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Michael Roster rushed into the surveillance room to watch what was going on throughout the buildings.

After scanning through a few screens, where he could see that his guards were the ones in control of the situation. A dozen guards currently cornered the braided intruder, smiling to himself, Michael turned his attention to the next screen on the monitor that was watching over their prisoner's medical room.

He was shocked to see what he did. Not only was the girl in the room, but she seemed to have a visitor of some sort, and from what it looked like, Michael could place him to meet what he found on the profile of the great Gundam pilot of Wing.

His smug smile tightened and widened. Everything was going according to plan; he had a Gundam pilot at long last. Now the only problem was that he had to secure the room to ensure that neither guest would escape.

"Tyson!" He barked to a soldier standing near to him. The solider, startled by his demand, jumped slightly.

"Yes sir!" He straightened himself and saluted to his boss.

"I want you to get all of our best guards and have them secure the perimeters around this room," he pointed to the room on the monitor and Tyson's gaze flitted over to it for a few minutes before going immediately back to his boss. "And once you have done that," Michael continued, "send a few men in to imprison this man here," once again Michael signalled to the monitor, this time more directly to the man, cradling the young raven haired girl in his strong arms.

"Yes sir!" Tyson replied, and made to leave the room.

"Oh and Tyson," Michael said, in a slightly more relaxed tone, "don't bring Roster into this. Make sure he knows nothing of it."

The soldier, who looked slightly confused, did not comment on his orders, "Yes sir," he said one more time before leaving the room quietly and setting himself to the task.

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A few minutes later, the very best guards of the Red Claw, were standing, arranged carefully around an enclosed space in which their target was situated.

In a few seconds, they would have him; the famous pilot of the gundam named Wing.

They would have Heero Yuy.

* * *

_ One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love. -- Sophocles _

I know i took a really really long time with this chapter, and you guys are probably really mad at me. But please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks for reading.

Love y'all

Allura01


	10. Succumbing to The End

**Eternally Yours**

**Chapter nine: Succumbing to The End**

"Freeze!" The single word, which broke their silence, immobilized her immediately. It was strange, how in times of danger, you ended up yielding to the enemy's orders.

Lafeia suddenly felt strong hands grasp her diminutive, weak body, tearing her away from the man that she loved and shoving her to cruelly the ground. She closed her eyes in resignation to the pain that embraced her drained body; she just found that she couldn't muster the strength to fight it off.

"Be careful with her, you idiots, just get the boy," a familiarly deep voice beckoned to his men amidst the chaos.

Lafeia opened her eyes once again, to see Heero, standing on guard, his stance completely aware and ready to attack, and several soldiers enfolding his space, positioned for assault.

"Make sure you bring him down, I need him captured properly, there must be _no_ mistakes." The deep voice called out again, Lafeia twisted her head slightly, to see Michael Cromer, standing at the door, a gun hoisted across his back and yelling orders abruptly to his men, who were following them with a haste respect.

The several men that had circled Heero, advanced somewhat slowly, but in a sudden blur, a few of them dashed out of the group and towards him, only to be quickly knocked to the ground again by Heero's rapid hands.

The attack continued with a strange haziness. All of the men moved with such agility and haste that it was hard to tell what was really happening, but none of their abilities came close to Heero's. He was moving with the experience that only a Gundam pilot was capable of, knocking men quickly to the ground with a rapid kick to the abdomen or strike to the head.

Heero slammed his fist into the jaw of a rather burly man whilst avoiding the attack of one of his partners. Spinning around quickly, he grabbed hold of the soldiers of one man and threw him violently into another, striking them both to the ground and rendering one unconscious. If Heero had the time, he would have stopped to smirk at his dexterity and talent, but as it happened, several more men were appearing at the door and approaching him at an alarming pace.

Crashing his foot against one man's crotch, the man stumbled away from him, and throughout the brutal music of the room, Heero heard him whimper in pain and collapse to the ground.

Chancing a quick look towards Lafeia, before the men around him reconciled from their injuries, he saw her grimacing in pain as a large man hovered dangerously over her, looking extremely pissed off, and quickly closing the proximity between them.

Anger flowed readily through his veins at the state of her, and he took it out on the next unknowing guard to come flying at him.

Lafeia swung her leg backwards, kicking the guy behind her in the crotch, and causing him to momentarily loosen his grasp. She used the moment to her advantage, struggling out of his hold and throwing her fist at the other, whacking him vehemently across the chin.

The second man didn't take too well to the abuse, as when he looked to his friend, moaning, in agony, on the ground, a sadistic grin braced his features and he immediately slammed a solid fist into her stomach, winding her and sending her flying a few feet, only to land, callously, on the cold polished flooring.

He then walked over to her again, looking irritated and yet pleased at the same time, and lifting his hand into the air again, Lafeia grimaced and prepared herself for another assault of excruciating pain.

Somehow, though, the pain never came; opening her eyes cautiously, she was met with concerned Prussian blue eyes.

"Heero!" she cried, warningly, as a strong hand made it's way around Heero's neck, strangling his breath and pulling him away from her.

She looked up at the man behind him, only to find herself staggering away from the two of them in shock.

"Adam, let go of him!" She screamed, staring at them with wide eyes whilst her cry echoed resoundingly against the cold walls of the medical room.

The two staggered aggressively into a machine, sending it crashing to the floor with a deafening thunder of heavy machinery and solid granite colliding.

Neither of them noticed, however, as Heero struggled to remove himself from Adam, and Adam avoided each of his rebounding moves, shrewdly.

Heero gasped for air as the hand across his neck tightened, straining his infrequent breaths, and obscuring the views in front of him, as the lack of oxygen rendered his brain inactive.

Choking, coughing and spluttering, he felt Lafeia's small feeble hands try to pry the other's strong hands away from his neck, helping his own useless attempts. But it seemed that the person holding him, had a vengeance towards him, and was using this anger to bring him down.

Unfortunately for Heero, it was working.

"NO!" He heard Lafeia cry, sobs interrupting her fearful screams, "stop it!"

Heero opened his eyes to stare at her, capturing her pale, delicate features in an effort to etch them, eternally, into his mind, in fear that he may not see her again.

Suddenly, the extent of his concern and affection for the young girl in front of him, hit him with a significant velocity. His love for her, had brought him to this downfall of his, it had blinded him of all targets, and the enemy had burrowed into this weakness of his, expanding the flaw and using it to their advantage.

Yet, he wasn't regretful; he couldn't fully understand it, but he wasn't regretful about falling for her. It was still, to him, the greatest thing to have ever happened, there was only one thing that he was regretful of, and that was; if he were to give in to the greater power, he would leave Lafeia on her own here. Leave her to deal with this by herself, and as much as this annoyed him, he still couldn't draw the power from within him to resume this battle for life.

The vision in front of him wavered and distorted into a darkness that was consuming his body and mind, blanking out his thoughts, hearing and sight.

Lafeia watched him fall with anxiety tugging at her closest heartstrings. A few men had already gotten hold of her, and dragged her to the opposite side of the room, away from Heero, in order to enable her from restraining Adam from doing his job.

He collapsed to his knees, Adam's arm still tangled around his neck, his eyes closing and his head spinning violently.

"No!" She screamed, but the guard beside her, who effectively whacked her across the head, silenced her. Stilling her screams as a thundering pain echoed in her head, blurring the view in front of her.

Two pairs of hands grabbed Heero from the ground, dragging him towards the door with little care.

"Well done Adam, I'm proud of the way you handled that," Michael told him pompously, tapping him on the back with the palm of his hand, but Adam merely glared at his friend, coldly.

"Why didn't you let me in on this?" He asked fiercely, an angry fire enflaming in his light eyes as he pushed his disorderly hair out of his eyes.

Michael glanced wearily towards Alex, who shrugged helplessly back at him.

"You know, Adam, as well as I do, that I couldn't have _any _mistakes."

"Well, you made quite a few here. To start with, you left this job up to these useless idiots," he gestured to the many men, lying in agony on the shimmering floor, "and secondly, you underestimated the abilities of the Gundam pilots." Michael grimaced at him, knowing his words were the truth, "Lucky you had me, eh?" Adam pushed past him, not waiting for a reply, and with a last concerned glance thrown towards the raven-haired girl in the corner of the room - who was coughing and spluttering, blood spilling from her pale lips – he left the room, escorting Heero with another few men.

"How did he find us down here?" Michael spun around angrily glaring at Alex.

"Some guy came up looking for him, saying something about how half the men were on the ground and that he knew that nobody could handle the situation as well as he could. However, Adam's right, you're lucky you had him." Alex retorted before staring at the young girl in the corner, "Is that the girl?"

"Yes," Michael sighed, turning his attention towards the sick girl, "could you call the medical staff? Tell them it's another critical emergency."

As soon as Alex had darted out of the door, he turned, warily, to the men holding the young girl down.

"You idiots, did you not hear me?" he asked, "I told you to be careful with her. She's in a critical condition, and I can't have her dying on me now!"

Lafeia turned her head up towards him, glowering at him venomously, "Thanks!" She spat, sardonically.

"Get her back onto the bed, and strap her down tightly," Michael ordered, ignoring her remarks completely.

-----------------------------------------

Heero grunted in pain as he was thrown against a wall. He slid down it weakly, slamming his head against the hard concrete in the process.

"You think that she loves you?" Adam asked him, a brutal rage, blinding him with a furious fire.

Heero glanced quickly towards the exit of the cell, only to find two large, burly men, standing guard and smirking callously. He was too weak right now to fight them all off.

"Yes," Heero retorted, emotionlessly. He wasn't going to let his captor have the pleasure of knowing that he was in pain; he had too much pride for that.

The anger in Adam was flared further and Heero was punished by being, once again thrown against the cold concrete walls with a deafening crash and a loud, ringing triggering in his ears.

"She _doesn't_, why would she love somebody like you?" Adam snarled, blindly hitting his target across the jaw, his fist colliding maliciously with Heero's bloody face.

Heero's head lolled, drooping slightly to his neck, but he shot it back up again, staring at Adam aimlessly. "I don't know," he replied, shrugging his shoulders and trying to prevent himself from flinching in pain, "why don't you ask her?"

Another collision of flesh and knuckles, and blood was soon pouring endlessly from Heero's nose. This time he winced as he drew his hands up to his face, one trying to stop the blood from flowing and the other pinching the bridge.

Heero glared at Adam as blood from a gash on his head trickled into his left eye, rendering the vision from that eye with a wash of red.

"The question is; do _you _think that she loves _you_?" He asked viciously, his own pent up anger threatening to be released.

Adam stopped pacing up and down in front of him and stared down at him from above, silently.

"Why would she_ love_ somebody like _you_?" Heero asked icily, turning the conversation around, "Why would she love someone who kidnapped her, locked her up in a cell and then treated her like this? It doesn't really matter if you're a shadow from her past, the events that are happening right now will hinder any of her love for you. If you really love her, you wouldn't be acting the way you are now."

Adam stared at him distantly as the truth of Heero's words sunk in and stung him with a raw emotion, which was so strong, that he felt as though it was tearing him apart from the inside out. Guilt… the pure emotion was so intense and overpowering that it chilled him to the bone.

Slowly, he tore his eyes away from the bloody mess of a soldier in front of him and stared blankly at the wall.

"It's not too late you know," Heero told him in an almost incoherent whisper, he was losing energy and consciousness rapidly, but he needed to do something to prevent Lafeia from any more danger. He needed to get her out of here; there was only one way and that was to convince Adam – the one who claimed to love her – let his love for her overpower his respect for his organisation. "You can still help her…" His last thread of consciousness snapped swiftly, sending him into a dark abyss of unawareness and leaving his aching body behind.

Adam watched as Heero collapsed unsteadily into a heap on the cold floor, walking out the cell, he nodded to his comrades and made his way back to his apartment, Heero's last words still ringing raucously in his mind.

-----------------------------------------

Duo sat in the driver's seat of the car, aimlessly drumming his fingers on the dashboard and humming peacefully to a song on the radio.

He had just begun to get really into the song – using his fingers as drumsticks, drumming them harshly against the dashboard and banging his head jubilantly in the air, all in time to the rhythmic beat – when a loud beeping resonated throughout the car, alarming him and startling him out of his game.

The vibrations from his lower pocket danced up along his leg, giving him more reason to want to find the device more rapidly.

Once his strong hand had wrapped its fingers around the trembling device, he pulled it out of his pocket.

"All right, you stupid thing, I got a freaking message, now shut up, would ya?" he pressed a small black button on the side of the device, halting its aggravating dance and song.

_Now… which button did Heero say I was to use to read it?_

"Delete message?" The recorded message of a feminine voice called out to him.

_Oh shit, no… not that… dammit!_

Pressing another small black button beside the display, the screen suddenly went blank.

"You gotta be kidding me… dead battery?" Duo groaned, slamming his head into his fist in frustration.

"… _If I message you at all, it means that you have to go and get the other pilots. I doubt that it will come to this, so it's just in case…"_

Heero's stoic voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of his warning.

"Shit, get the pilots… could it be that?" Duo asked himself thoughtfully, then hastily shoved the keys into the ignition, and twisting them, the car roared to life.

Duo crashed his foot against the accelerator and skilfully made his way away from the 'Red claw' headquarters at a law-breaking speed.

-----------------------------------------

"She's come around now sir, the sedative's wearing off."

Michael looked up from his seat beside the young raven-haired girl's bed and nodded to the doctor, gratefully.

Lafeia groaned as the pain that she had left behind earlier, hit her at full force, causing her to shudder and wince at every slight movement of her body.

"Have you any anaesthetics?" Michael asked the doctor, who came strolling over quickly, a syringe in hand, and punctured Lafeia's pale skin with it's sharp edge, allowing the liquid to be pushed into her blood stream as he applied pressure upon the top.

"I thought that you were never going to wake up," Michael stated as the door slammed shut behind him, gesturing that they were once again alone.

Opening her teal eyes slowly, she immediately closed them again, cursing the lights for blinding her temporarily.

"How… long?" she asked coarsely.

"Two days, we gave you a sedative to calm you after the fight, but you were so drained that you ended up unconscious for the past few days."

Lafeia sat up slowly, opening her eyes again and allowing them to adjust to the brightness of the room. Rubbing her temples with her palms, she turned towards her captor.

"What do _you _want?" she asked bitterly as the memories of their last meeting flashed through her mind.

"To talk," he answered, looking her blatantly in the eyes.

"That's obvious, but what about?" Lafeia grimaced as the anaesthetics started to work around her body, shooting painful shivers down her limbs rapidly, back and forth.

"I want to talk about what happened the other day; I feel that a few things need to be clarified."

Lafeia glared at him ruthlessly, her teal eyes glittering under the bright glow of the lights with a menacing appeal.

"Like how you _lied _to me… about how you _broke_ your promise _not _to involve the gundam pilots," She spat with a disgusted tone to her croaky voice.

Michael quickly drew himself away with her, staring with an guiltless guise on his face. "_Me_? I broke _my_ promise? I'm sorry, my dear Lafeia, but you must be mistaken… You broke your promise first."

"I did not!" Lafeia cried in frustration, she would have yelled had she had the strength. She felt like jumping off the bed she was on and strangling the liar in front of her.

"But you did, you were escaping, and bless my luck, with a gundam pilot, too," Michael told her, his voice irritatingly calm.

"But I didn't escape; therefore I did not break the promise-" Lafeia started, a blind rage growing inside of her.

"You were about to," Michael interrupted coolly, leaning back in his chair and staring back with blaming eyes targeting her small frame.

Lafeia growled in defeat, it had been true, she _had_ forgotten about her end of the agreement, and she was going to escape with Heero.

"You used me though, you had this all planned, I heard all of the orders you were shouting to your men. You knew that this would happen." She accused, pointing a vicious finger at his smug, conceited face.

"That is true," he admitted without hesitation, as if he was proud of this statement, "I had planned it all, I'm just thankful that you were able to make it work according to plan."

"You bastard," Lafeia growled, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists to try to control her anger, "You used me…"

"All is fair in love and war," Michael rose of his seat slowly as Lafeia's gaunt and pale face twisted from a scowl to look of pure puzzlement.

"What- what do you mean?" Then when the true meaning dawned on her, she frowned again and shook her head, "never mind."

Michael chucked humorously, clearly amused by her antics and naivety.

"Where is he?" Lafeia questioned, asking the question that was blaring like a siren in her mind.

Michael looked thoughtful for a second before he answered, "Who?"

"You know who," Lafeia answered maliciously.

"No, I really don't, the way you asked was as If you were referring to the one you care about," Lafeia nodded her head slightly, "but who is that… Adam or the new soldier boy- Heero Yuy?"

Lafeia scowled at his remark, "Heero!"

Michael hung his head; as if in shame before lifting it slowly back up to the girl. His eyes were empty and almost sad, as if he was regretting something, and he looked as though he was debating whether to answer her question or not.

Lafeia's heart sunk in her chest, as though hiding and preparing itself for a major wound and she stared at Michael, urging him to continue, with her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but… Heero Yuy's dead."

His voice seemed empty as Lafeia heard the words that she least wanted to hear. Duo had once - in a moment of personal reveries - told her that death followed him wherever he went, like a plague, and this was the reason that he had always tried not to open up his heart to others, in fear that they too, would be struck by his curse.

Lafeia wondered, briefly, for a second, whether she too was followed by this curse, before the full impact of Michael's words hit her; smashing her heart pitilessly in her chest, until it had shattered into millions of little pieces… shards; like glass, that were broken beyond repair.

Her anguished cries and screams tore through the remote building, echoing piercingly off bland cold walls and shattering the aloof silence that had settled like a mist upon the grounds.

* * *

**A/N** - Sorry that it took so long to come out with this chapter, only recently have I found inspiration to continue it. But I'm back on track now, but unfortunately, as I have several other fics to keep up with, the updates won't be all that close together. 

**Oceanena** – Thank you very much for the review.

**10-Midnight-01** – Sorry I took so long with this chapter, but its here now, I hope the suspense hasn't worn off yet lol. Thanks for the review.

**Saferia **– And she finally updates again lol, thanks for the review.

**charlie00** – I love you too lol! Don't worry bout the delays, I just hope that you find time to read them, whenever, that's all that matters to me. Thanks for the great review!

**burgandy3721** – Yay, I'm glad you liked it. Also, remember to update yours soon too! Sorry, I'm not in the best talking mood right now, but good luck with your fic, and thanks for the review, love ya!

So… is it too much to ask for a few more reviews?

Love y'all

Allura


	11. This is the Last Chance

**Eternally Yours**

**Chapter ten: This is the Last Chance**

The heavy slam of the door barely registered in her mind as she stared, blankly, towards the high ceiling, her thoughts racing frantically through her mind, as they had been doing for the past week. At least, she thought it was a week, honestly, it felt like longer… like an eternity of hell, eternal damnation; there were no windows to the outside world, therefore obscuring her knowledge of time, leaving her once again, in the dark in more ways than one.

"Miss," The squeaky, high voice called out to her, but she ignored it, continuing to stare up at the white paint above her and reminiscing on what she had done in her life, to generate so much havoc and grief, "Miss, you have to eat something, look, I've brought you some mince and potatoes…"

Again ignoring the voice, Lafeia thought of Heero… it was all her fault, she had gotten him trapped in this mess and she had tugged him into it. Hell, she had practically forced him into the relationship that they had… or used to have.

"You haven't eaten in nearly a week miss; the master's getting annoyed… It's really not wise to irritate Master Cromer."

"Look," Lafeia retorted bitterly, her eyes snapping towards the stout middle-aged women in front of her, carrying a tray of food, "I'm _not_ hungry and you can tell _Master Cromer_, that I do not, any longer, have a reason to abide by his orders. He broke his promise. The only thing keeping me here…" she cast a fractious glance down to her thin wrists, "are these damned _chains_!" She shook her pale, fragile hands at the woman, causing the heavy chains to clank as they knocked noisily together. Tugging on them, she demonstrated to the servant girl that she was united with the bedposts, therefore preventing her from moving around.

She coughed roughly, as she finished, having drained herself of her remaining energy and sunk, deeply, back into the mattress, several broken springs – caused by her thrashing around for several days – digging and jabbing, tiresomely into her spine.

"Here, miss, drink this," the woman moved quickly towards her and leaving the tray on the mahogany bedside table with a thud, she tipped a cold glass to Lafeia's mouth, forcing the chillingly cool liquid to trickle slowly down her dry throat.

Lafeia reluctantly swallowed, she hated being treated like this, as if she was weak – even though she knew herself that she was – and leaving her feeling as though she was incapable of taking care of herself, and thanks to Michael, she was. Incapable of taking care of herself, that is.

Twisting her head away from the glass, she flew back against the headrest, keeping as far away as possible from the stranger standing before her.

"Who are you?" she asked, eyeing the woman with a suspicious glare.

"Penny, but that's not important dear, what is important, is that you eat up," she grabbed the tray and rest it on Lafeia's legs, "there now, shouldn't be too hard for you to reach it now."

"Go away, I'm not eating that," Lafeia growled, thrashing her legs so that the tray toppled over, spilling the food across the mattress and staining the sheets with a musty red liquid.

"Oh dear," the woman replied, hustling about quickly and trying to clean the quilt's covers, "I'll have to get the master in to have a word with you."

Lafeia's dull eyes narrowed and her already deathly pale lips thinned into a taut line as she glowered at her, "Don't you _dare_…"

Penny shrugged hesitantly, shaking her head, and grabbing the tray from the ground, where it had fallen, she stumbled out of the room, muttering profoundly under her breath.

Once the door had once again slammed shut, behind the plump woman, Lafeia released a shaky breath. She hadn't dealt with Michael since the day that… Heero had permanently left; she realized that he was giving her time to adjust to this new phenomenon, however, Lafeia knew, that she could never, _really_, get over this.

Sinking her fingers into her head, she shook the horrid thoughts from her mind, trying to release herself of the relentless pain that rang through her at the thought of him. The chains rustled quietly as she steadied herself and leant against a post, feeling intensely tired but knowing that she wouldn't sleep… she couldn't.

-----------------------------------------

"Hilde, answer the phone… please…" Duo muttered, one hand clasped around the cell phone and pressing it to his right ear and the other, skilfully steering the car around the vacant roads of the L4 colony.

After a few more rings, a girl's perky voice greeted him from the other end of the receiver, "Duo, hey, what's up?"

"Hilde, we got a big problem, Heero's been captured, I need backup immediately. Send the pilots over here ASAP." Duo muttered quickly into the mouthpiece of the cell phone, his breaths ragged from the adrenaline pumping through his veins, bursting sparks of energy into each of his muscles.

"What-" Hilde started, hesitantly.

"I'll explain later," Duo almost barked at her in frustration, "Just get the pilots."

"Okay," Hilde stammered nervously, having never experienced Duo's anger taken directly out on her, "I'll send them on the private shuttle that transported you and Heero, although I don't know how long that will-"

"No," Duo demanded, "I want them sent to the public spaceport. It's closest to me right now, we don't have enough time."

"But Duo, the public spaceport will be crowded with civilians and there's no way that the guys will make it past the gates without being inspected for weaponry." Hilde explained.

"Damn it!" Duo growled slamming his other fist against the wheel and sending the car raving out of control; quickly he grabbed control of the wheel again and focused the car back on the road.

"I'll send them on a private flight as soon as possible. Meet them at the spaceport. I love you, Duo, goodbye." Hilde said before the dial tone registered in Duo's mind.

He snapped his cell phone shut and slipped it into a pocket before placing both hands on the steering wheel, readying himself for a long drive.

"I love you too, Hilde." He mumbled, his face as blank and expressionless as the perfect soldier's.

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The steel gate clanked shut behind him, sending an echoing clang through the dark and damp rooms. The dripping sound of water, relentlessly falling from a broken pipe and slamming almost loudly against the ground reached his mind as his feet wandered towards his goal, clipping repeatedly off the cold stone flooring.

"Leave," he ordered his voice ruthless and hard. The two large men looked at each other, as if anticipating whether to follow the orders, but seconds later both had departed their stations and were silently moving away.

Slipping an old, rusted key into the worn metal lock, he twisted it and listened carefully to the light clicking noise that seemed to thunder in his ears, becoming in time to the intensifying rhythm of his raging heart.

He stepped inside the cell, feeling the cold atmosphere instantly chill his already trembling bones; however, the faint glow of an unknown light source in the distance was somewhat comforting as it cast its warm amber glow across a corner of the dead room, sending all other areas into an ethereal shadowy realm.

"So you finally decided to come," a harsh raspy voice, unaccustomed to regular use, called out to him from the darkness, and as his eyes adapted to the darkness he was able to make out the slumped form in the far corner of the cell, basking itself from view in the unfathomable shadows. "I was beginning to lose hope."

He let out a shaky sigh, cursing himself for abiding by the other's request. He was starting to regret coming down here, he was putting so much at risk, but a part of him knew that this was the right thing to do. The only thing to do.

"What can I do?" He asked, rather hesitantly, his gaze falling to the cold granite floor in front of him, unable to face the other person.

"You need to help me get out of here." Came the hoarse reply. Even though he had known that this was the request that was undoubtedly going to be made, it hit his system like a shock.

"I can't-" He started, his heartbeat quickening at the illegitimate response.

"Listen," the other growled, "It's been too long already… backup is on its way, in fact it should be arriving within the next few days, maybe hours." The shadowed figure shuffled slightly and Adam dared himself to look at him in time to see him stand, shakily, holding onto the cold walls for support. "We need to get her out of there soon, you, yourself, have seen the poor condition that she is in, if she's left unattended any longer, she's going to die. For sure."

Adam swallowed. Heero's statements were true, but if something went wrong, if they were caught, they would be slaughtered, every single one of them.

Hesitantly, he let his tall form drop to the cold, stone floor, and sidled his head into his hands.

"Alright then. What have you got planned?"

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A breeze swept in as the door to her room suddenly and abruptly opened and Michael strolled in, looking enraged and furious as he glared coldly at the girl who was lying on the bed. He furtively walked over to her and released her from the chains with a twist from a brass key.

"Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?" He demanded an answer, standing and hovering over her small, weak form with a somewhat threatening appeal to his stature.

Lafeia stared at her bloodied wrists and traced her fingers shakily across the crimson stained scars, "It has come to mind." She answered solemnly and emotionlessly, not bothering to meet his gaze.

"Don't be ridiculous." Michael harshly replied, anxiously pacing the room. Lafeia slowly lifted her entranced gaze from the dark liquid leaking hastily from the gashes on her arms and stared at the man with an almost amused smile. He clearly still needed her for something later on in his plans. Wouldn't it be such a terrible thing if she just happened to… pass away?

"I have no reason to stay here any longer. People like you have hunted me for my entire life," her voice was outlandishly devoid of all emotion, and as Michael looked at her, he was stunned to see that her usually vibrant eyes were extremely pale and holding an almost misty white hue to them that sent chills to his spine. "And stealing _everything_ that ever meant _anything_ to me… people like _you _are what have driven me to this point of near distinction. You stole him from me, you stole my last thread of hope, and now… what do I have left to live for?"

She shrugged and lay absently down on her mattress, the blood leaking freely from her wrists as her eyes closed, apathetically, "So why even bother with the basics… like food?"

Michael growled, this stupid, pathetic excuse for a human was ruining his plans, and it was driving him insane. He realised that it was he, who had broken the girl and forced her to this point of weakness, but now, he was wondering whether his final mission target was actually worth it.

He grabbed a strong and steady hand onto the wooden post of her bed and stared at the limp body lying there, "Get her bandaged up, don't let her die." He ordered the guards at the door, disgust apparent in his tone.

Treading out of the room, with heavy footsteps echoing against the cold marble floors and resounding noisily against the walls surrounding him, he decided something.

If she wanted to play like this, he could play too. He was sick of her worthless acting, it was time that he showed her just what she would be missing without her life.

"Get me Adam Roster!" He barked demandingly as he threw himself into a comfortable armchair of his room, the subtle glow of the light from the fireplace flickering dangerous shadows across his darkly threatening face.

-----------------------------------------

The dark silence was shattered by his unremitting footsteps as heavy, military shoes hammered against the harsh cold stone. A deep sigh was released from his mouth and it wavered unsteadily as his thoughts tumbled across his mission.

He had just given him the perfect opportunity to put the plan into place, he had just handed him numerous freedoms and most of all, he had just supplied him with the chance of wreaking havoc. Deviant, rebellious havoc and he was going to take him up on his offer.

A wide, callous grin tore through the skin around his lips as he reminded himself of what, exactly; it was that he had to do.

'Take care of the girl,' he had ordered, 'make her abide by my plans. I want her under control by the end of today.'

'Yes sir!' Was his reply. Well this was one time were his plans weren't going to fall perfectly into place, this was one time when Michael Cromer was going to fall for his misjudging trust, foolish man.

"Commander Roster, we've been waiting for you."

Adam nodded his head indifferently, his tousled blonde hair falling aimlessly into cold, cutting eyes whilst vengeance lay hidden, disguised deeply by his adopted mask and pushed deeply into his heart.

The door glided smoothly open as the guard twisted the key and stepped aside, allowing his commander access to the dull, sombre room.

A heavy blanket of desperation and disconsolateness shrouded and smothered the air in the room, and as he studied the small, weakened and yet elegant form of a young girl, spread across the crimson-stained bed sheets his heart cried out in anguish at the faded soul.

The door slammed shut behind him, notifying him that they were alone and out of earshot. The girl on the poster bed didn't flinch and the only thing that left him reminded that she was still alive was the slow and uneven rise and fall of her chest.

Crossing the room, he rested his weight upon the mattress and stared at Lafeia, swiping stray strands of dull, black hair from her pale, emaciated face.

Serious payback was in order here. Michael Cromer had fatally damaged the strongest girl he had ever known, he had knowingly tore away her life, ripping it callously from her chest and left her here, as her flame burnt out, progressively, causing her to smoulder to ashes.

She was a toy, a dilapidated toy.

"Lafeia, can you hear me?" he asked gently as he stroked her face with tenderness.

A sudden tremor took hold of her body and she shivered as her eyes, sleepily and gradually opened.

"It's okay… I'm here for you. I promise, if it's the last thing that I ever do, that I will get you out of here." His voice was low and shaky, so unlike the fake, strong tone that he had adapted to for so many years.

"Adam, leave me alone," she moaned in a croaky, unused voice. Silent tears trickled from solemn, depressed eyes as she stared with him, pleading for solitude.

"No, I won't do that. I've done that for too long now, it's time for your escape." His voice was adamant as he forced the strength into it for her.

Lafeia shook her head, and attempted to drift back into her isolated world of sleepy delusions, but Adam grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly to rouse her from her weariness.

"Listen," he begged fervently, "please, listen to me; this is the last chance that I will get to redeem myself in your eyes. I won't let anything happen to you… not now, not ever."

"You expect me to fall for that?" she coughed, harshly.

He frowned deeply at her, and turned away from her perilous eyes. "Get ready, I'm going to need your help, if you want to get out of here safely."

Lafeia nodded, somewhat untrusting and doubtful of his plans.

"Here's what's going to happen…" He leant in close to her ear, whispering words, which were incoherent to the rest of the world, and thankfully, their final mission target… Michael Cromer.

Now was the time for revenge… The score was about to be settled, and only then, when it was all over, would they be in the league.

* * *

Yes, yes, I know that this chapter is considerably shorter than the rest of them, but if I had have continued this, well it would have spoilt all of the dark, evil fun in the next. Wheeee the fun-ness… **Thanks for all the past wonderful reviews, and thank you guys so much for sticking by me the whole time.** Especially Charlie and Jess! Love you guys, oh and Jess, update for goodness sakes… please? (p.s we should write a fic together some time, it would be so fun and an honour to write with thy greatness!) 

Anyways? Can I have some **reviews please**? I'd like to know that there are still some EY fans out there… somewhere. (Places hand across her brow and stares out into the open) Anyone?

Love y'all

Allura


	12. Breaking Alliances

**Eternally Yours**

**By Allura**

**AU** – You guys rock. Thanks for sticking by me through this, extremely long and irritatingly wearisome story. Unfortunately, or fortunately - whichever you prefer – Eternally Yours is ending. I just want to hurry and get at least one of these stories of my chest, and give myself a little bit of liberation; I love this fan fiction, I really do, but it needs to end, its been dragged on a little too long.

However, I won't rush it in a way that will just spoil the whole story, no way, I've spent too many hours, exerting my whole mind over these plots to ruin the whole thing now. So no frets.

**Chapter eleven: Breaking Alliances**

Twelve hours, exactly, until destruction.

Bitter anxiety coursed through his blood, poisoning his rational thoughts and leaving him tense with excitement, yet confident in the progression of his scheme.

Everything was falling into place, and he couldn't help but sit back, watching everything operate accordingly to his plans, and grin; loving it all.

The _girl _was quietly locked up in her room, heavily guarded and carefully under Roster's watch whilst the _pilot_, was locked in the darkest of his dungeons, barely surviving… not that it mattered, he only need him for one last thing anyway. And in a few hours, when everything was over, the annoying boy would be troublesome no more.

His long fingers persistently drummed across the oaken wood of the coffee table, tapping apprehensively to the rhythm of his thoughts.

The blaze of the heated fire, danced across his face as he inhaled smoky, steady breaths, hoping to calm his anxiety.

"Sir," A voice interrupted him from his musings and he turned to see Hartley, standing just a few feet away from him, his face straight and professional, "The operation is completely set up, the courier carrying the gundanium alloy is on its way and all that's needed, sir, is for you to give the right away."

"Thank you, Hartley, you may go." He replied, pushing stray strands of greying dark hair from his eyes.

"Uh, sir? Don't you want to pass your remark, get the mission started quickly?"

"No Hartley, I think that it's best to keep to the initial plans as much as possible." He remarked, turning his head away uninterestedly; explaining himself became tiresome after a while. He was lucky that he had Adam; he was one person who could always understand him, or if not, had the wits not to question him.

He was a trustworthy soldier, perhaps the best.

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Adam crept towards the door silently, his gun cocked and silenced and his sturdy fingers wrapped around the cold steel metal, almost possessively. Twisting the handle carefully, he heard the steady click of the door unbolting from its place and he slid the cool stainless steel weapon into the belt of his trousers, covering it with his jacket, cautiously.

"Lieutenant Roster, Cromer would like to have a word-" with two jolts of his powerful index finger, the bodies collapsed into his hands and he let them slide, slowly to the ground, sure not to make too much sound from the fall.

Adam stared at his former allies, blankly. The people he had once called friends, now lay, drenched in crimson dark liquid, surrounding them in puddles, and dark gashes piercing through their thick jackets.

Had the bullets been fired from a greater distance, the Kevlar in their bullet-proof vests might have prohibited the steel bullets from penetrating their flesh, but at the close range, trusted proximity from which Adam Roster had fired the shots, the expensive suits were worthless.

With one last glance down to the corpses, he hauled them into the room and threw them into the corner, causing a startled gasp to emerge from Lafeia's faint lips.

Adam growled at her, not pleased, at all with what he had done, "_Come__ on_, don't tell me you've never killed anyone, and if I hadn't got them first, doubtlessly, they would have gotten you. Now come."

The raven-haired girl slipped weakened, pale legs from the twisted sheets on the bed and allowed them to brush with the soft-carpeted floor beneath her, and pulling herself to a standing position, she managed to balance herself with the wooden post of the bed, and nod her head curtly.

Adam rolled his eyes, and walked towards her, snaking an arm under hers and around her waist, however, Lafeia shrugged him off with a callous, calculated glare.

Adam stepped back, his hands warded upwards in a sign of 'no harm', "Fair enough, if you can make it yourself, walk to the door without falling, and if not, I get to help you."

"Fine." Lafeia retorted, pushing herself roughly off the post and stumbling over her feet on the first few steps. She found herself falling, unceremoniously, into Adam's strong arms and casting a weak, feeble glance at him. He threw her a look that alleged, 'I told you so', and she sighed, allowing him to support her light frame in his arms.

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"But sir, the sooner you get this over and done with, the less of a risk we are in. That _thing_ in the cellar, he's inhuman, no human could possibly have such strength and still be in their late teens? He's not weakening, sir."

"Hartley, I trust that you know what you're talking about," Michael caressed his frustrated head with coarse fingers, drilling into the temples of his head, "but I also trust Adam, who said that everything is under control. He says that the most vital proposition in this _game_ is to wait."

"Sir, no disrespect intended," Hartley protested, "but are you in dictating this situation, or is Lieutenant Roster?"

Michael growled at the man, hoping to send him scurrying, but he should have known better. Hartley was almost as strong and in control of his emotions as Adam was, and therefore he often stood his ground.

"Of course, _I'm_ in control, you fool!" He exclaimed, not helping his throbbing head.

"It doesn't seem like it, sir. Please, it makes more logic sense to start the conspiracy now. Better late than never, and with that Yuy _kid_, you never know what might happen. I've heard rumours 'bout him. Supposedly, he survived a critical explosion from detonating his Gundam when he was fifteen. Fifteen, sir!" Hartley pushed the subject, yet his initiative words caught Cromer's attention, "I mean, if he could do that at that age, imagine what he can do now, three or four years later."

Michael groaned, as much as he was starting to feel threatened by Yuy's precedent actions, changing the plans was _not_ on list of things to do. "Bloody hell, Hartley," He slammed his fist, violently onto the coffee table and stared up at the young man in front of him, who was unperturbed by his behaviour, "Go ahead then. Start it, but you _better_ not let me down!"

A small, light grin traced its way across Hartley's lips at this statement, "Thank you, sir. I will not let you down."

_I've got you now, Adam; no longer Roster's favourite man, are we? We're going to see who's lieutenant, after this. _

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The silence in the hallways was almost threatening; she just couldn't understand where all of the soldiers had disappeared to, it was surreal for it to be so isolated. Usually there would be soldiers patrolling the corridors at every corner of the building, but she hadn't seen one yet.

"Why is it so empty?" she whispered, not wishing to disturb the silence.

Adam frowned and halted, shifting her weight in his arms slightly, as she rested her body against his, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.

"I'm not sure. There must be an important meeting, however, Cromer planned for that to be in another-" his eyes hastily flickered to his wristwatch, scrutinising the minute hands slowly making their way round the full three-hundred and eighty degree turn, "eleven hours or so. Shit, I hope there hasn't been a change of plans."

"Why?" she inquired, starting to feel suspiciously anxious.

"Because that would totally fuck with the system, leaving us, consequently, screwed."

Lafeia grimaced at his fowl use of words. "Well then, shall we not hurry?"

Adam jolted her sharply by shifting her weight in a swift movement.

"Ouch," she cried in a hushed tone, "What was that for?"

"Your attitude."

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"I'll need all of you on patrol this evening, plans have been shifted slightly and put to twelve – or eleven at the moment – hours in advance."

Michael looked out over the crowds, his dark eyes scanning across the crowd of nodding heads ahead of him, and missing one familiar face.

"Has anyone seen, Roster? Or Tyson and Morrison?" He asked the crowd. The response was negative… _where could they be?_

"Never mind, back to patrolling, I need the security to be heavy tonight, I have the feeling that we are going to be having a few more guests on the premises. So be extremely aware if your surroundings, these other pilots are just as skilled as the last, and there'll be approximately four more. Your duty is to take care of them as we arranged previously, using whatever methods you find suitable."

There was an agreeing murmur pushed through the soldiers as the grinned, maliciously at the thoughts of being the ones to eliminate the remainder of the gundam pilots.

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Adam pushed open the thick steel gates after taking out another one of his ex-comrades. They creaked in protest as he forced his weight upon them and after gathering Lafeia's weight under his arms once again, he proceeded in walking through the musty, dark and damp cells in search of one person…

Lafeia inhaled deeply, trying to calm her frazzled nerves and almost choking on the stale air in the process.

_So much for calm, cool and collected, _she thought.

She limped along, her body resting neatly against Adam's as she relished in his warmth in the cold atmosphere of the dungeons. The bitterness clawed at her fragile body and ripped her energy from her with a cruel chill.

As Adam slipped another key into a heavy, rusted padlock, she felt her stomach tighten and twist into knots as anxiety coursed through her veins.

The padlock clicked out of place and Adam cautiously pushed the gate open and cast a worried glance towards her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly and his eyes analysing her movements carefully.

"Go on then, quickly," he urged her, as she closed her eyes and with his help, walked into the room. Upon opening her eyes, she glanced around frenetically and saw… nothing.

Frowning deeply, she adjusted her eyes to the darkness in time to see a dark figure emerge from the shadows.

"About time…" the cold, distant voice drawled out as piercing blue eyes materialized, sharply, glaring into her as though trying to pierce through her soul.

She felt her knees buckle below her and her heart stop and almost give way in her chest, but a strong pair of hands clasped around her waist as she stared at her lost love. He was cold and remote, as if – in a way – he wasn't actually there.

"Whoa," Adam shot his hands around her waist quickly and balanced her body onto his so that her back was leaning weakly against his chest, "what are you doing?" he asked Heero, almost angrily, "We need to quicken this up, Cromer might have changed his plans; adjusted them so that they are earlier."

"What?" Heero snapped out of his daze and stopped staring at Lafeia to cast concerned eyes up towards the man who was currently holding her, "why?"

"I don't know, for some reason, I haven't been informed, but we have time against us now, which isn't going to help at all."

"Do you want to go and check?" Heero asked, as Lafeia gained her strength and stood on her own two feet, still looking rather pained.

"I can't…" Adam started.

"You have to – we need you to." Heero took Lafeia's weight and let the small girl fall into his arms, she regained her balance quickly and tensed under his grasp, but after a few moments, she relaxed and pressed her body firmly against his, her thin arms latching around his waist. "Have you got the device?"

Lafeia glared at the two men warily, unsure of what they were talking about.

"What device?" she choked out.

Adam and Heero both cast wary looks to one another, before answering in unison, "Nothing."

Lafeia scowled, releasing her hold of Heero and moving slowly to one of the damp walls and leaning against its cold surface. "That's not fair, tell me… What device?"

"Well… it's just part of the plan," Adam elaborated, guilt flooding his face from not have told her that part in the first place, "You'll see later, but right now, I don't have time" he leant forward and placed a chaste kiss upon her gaunt cheek, "good luck."

Lafeia watched as Adam avoided the gate and rounded the corner of the dungeons, slowly disappearing out of sight and into the shadows, before glancing at Heero, who was staring at her and frowning slightly.

"Don't think anything of it," She warned, catching the danger that flickered across his eyes, briefly.

"What?" he replied, almost innocently, however, there was only so far you could go with describing the perfect soldier, and calling him innocent was crossing the boundary.

"It was nothing, okay? Just an innocent peck on the cheek."

Heero scowled before grinning slightly and bending low to capture her in a passionate kiss. Lafeia's previous thoughts evaporated as the overwhelming strength of the kiss caught her heart in an almost painful twist.

Pulling away, she smiled faintly, kissing him lightly once again before adding, "You're the only one for me."

"Good." He replied, sounding pleased. Lafeia ran her frail hands tersely down his chest, but halted upon finding smooth skin. She stepped back and away from him before pulling him out into the hallway, so that she could examine him more clearly.

Her eyes widened in shock as the dull lights enveloped his body, revealing his bare chest to her and the purple and black bruises that were coating his exposed flesh.

"What happened?" she asked; her voice light and raspy as she trailed a thin finger across his bruised jaw line.

Heero coughed, and looked in the opposite direction, appearing as though scanning for guards, but Lafeia knew that he was avoiding eye contact.

"Adam, right?" Heero never answered, his silence lingered on before they heard footsteps echoing towards them.

"Come on, quickly," he grabbed her pale wrist and tugging her closely, they dashed down the corridor, as silently as they could.

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Adam slipped silently into the conference room, hoping to go unnoticed, but his hopes were set on fire as he ran straight into Hartley.

"Adam!" he cried, "back from tending to your 'pretty girl'?"

_damn. _

"Roster," Michael's voice beckoned over to him through the small room, "Change of plans-" he started.

Adam swallowed, hard, dreading what his next words would be, his hand glided into his jacket pocket, searching for the small, yet powerful instrument that he had managed to smuggle from the storage room and running his fingers over it, uneasily.

"- We're starting the mission, in any minute now, we will have four other gundam pilots roaming over heavily guarded grounds. They will be captured, and then, the executions will begin!"

The roars of approval were deafening to his ears, as Adam stood, his feet planted firmly to the ground and staring, shocked, at Michael as his words roamed raucously inh is mind… _executions_…

* * *

'_The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder.'– Virginia Woolf_

Wheee wasn't that fun now? … haha, okay not really, the next chapter will be better, I promise.

Thank you guys for you precious reviews, as stated above, YOU ROCK!

Love yaz

Allura


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